Courage, Bravery, Integrity: Canon
by GuffeyManipulation
Summary: Zachary Milos is a Mercenary, an Assassin that wouldn't kill, A renegade known by many names. He survived at the extent of others, but everything changed when he met Ruby Rose.
1. Chapter 1: An Offer I Can't Refuse

_How did I forget to get Dust Crystals before now?_ Great, now I'm out in Vale in the middle of the night. Oh good, I found the shop. I looked up and saw the sign that I saw so usually, I visited this shop on a regular basis to get dust for my weapon. I walked in and nodded to the man at the cashier. He smiled back at me, though I did not return it.

"Is there something I can help you with young man?"

"No, It's fine though, I can find it myself." He nodded and smiled at me again. I then walked over to the dust containers with the mirrors behind them, I looked in them for a second and saw the usual. Short brown curly hair atop the head of a chiseled face and a largish nose, I then looked at my body and saw that I was still built up and in shape, I guess my line of work helps out with that. _What am I doing?_ I went back to the canisters and filled up 6 small vials of Fire dust. Usually I don't need the dust when I fight, but it makes my hits all the much harder in a fight, so I use them sometimes anyways. Being impervious to fire helps too. Once I had finally filled the last of the vials I heard the door open and I turned around to see 6 guys, armed with guns and swords, walk in, obviously led by a man in the front with a Bowler Hat and a cane. _Their obviously up to no good._ I slowly reached down and put my hand on the small button on my watch, ready to unleash my Weapons.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a dust shop open this late?" The boss spoke up as one of his henchmen had pointed a gun at the cashier. That, of course, was the moment that I noticed the Girl with the red cloak in the back of the shop. I couldn't start attacking these guys, they might hurt the man, or the girl. A man's life I could handle, a younger girl's life, not so much. I stayed where I was, and hid behind one of the aisles to stay out of sight.

"Please, just take my Lien and leave."

"Shhh, calm down, we're not here for your money. Grab the dust." The men started to unload a bunch of crates and started to take all the dust from the containers. One of the men noticed the girl and started to move towards her. I walked over prepared to attack this guy and defend the girl. Before I even got there, the man went flying back and out of the window. I was so surprised I ran forward to see the girl clearly, where before I could only see her hood. She looked a little younger than me, 15 maybe, with black hair dyed red at the tips. She was sporting a black corset with a red skirt and a red cloak. She was also wielding a giant Scythe two times the size of her. She turned to me about to attack before she noticed I wasn't dressed like the others.

"Sorry, guy, but I need to stop these guys." She then proceeded to jump at the next man that was moving towards her. I wasn't going to let her have all the fun though. I pressed the button on my watch, abandoning the dust I prepared as I punch my fists together. My watch then proceeded to cover both my hands and covered halfway up my arms, stopping at my elbows. I was then wielding grey gauntlets with plate armor covering that area. at the backs of my arms were thrusters I could use to power my punchs with much more of a wallup. I then ran out to join the girl in beating the crooks to the ground. I jumped out the window slamming my feet into the back of one of the guys and slamming him into the ground, using my momentum to power forward a punch that slammed into another guys face, flinging him far back into a wall on the other side of the street. When the girl noticed me jump out to help her she nodded to me to come help her with the other guys. We then worked together to dispatch the rest of the guys pretty easily. Then the leader walked out to see the rest of his men lying knocked out in the street.

"Well, this has been an eventful evening, but I think that it shall end now." He raised his cane to point at the girl. I was about to laugh until it opened up a scope and I realized it was a gun. I then ran forward as he shot and pushed the girl out of the way of the red and black flare. Pushing us both out of the shots path. When we both got our bearings we looked around to find the man gone.

"He's up there!" She pointed to a ladder to the roof of a nearby building and I saw him trying to climb to the top of it. I then turned to the shop owner.

"You okay if we go after him?" He gave a low grunt of agreement and the girl used the sniper on her scythe to propel her way up there. I ran to the building and jumped at the wall, using the thrusters on my arms to help propel my running up the side of the building and to the top. When I got there I looked up to see the man jump into a waiting bullhead. "End of the like Red!" That's when I saw the Dust. I ran forward as he threw it and pulled the girl behind me with my back to the crystal right as he shot it. When I realized I wasn't dead, I looked up to see an older woman wielding a riding crop holding up a glyph that was protecting the two of us. _She must be a Huntress._ She then started sending magic arrows to attack the bullhead. She then cast a spell that created a large cloud above the plane, until it started spraying ice down upon it. That's when I saw a figure come out of the plane where we could see it and started throwing fire at the Huntress. They went into a fierce magic bout until the Bullhead took off. The girl got up from the girl and looked at the woman.

"You're a Huntress. CAN I HAVE YOUR AUTOGRAPH?!"

The girl I later found out name was Ruby and I were sitting at a table in an interrogation room. The Huntress, Goodwitch was her name, had been lecturing the two of us on how dangerous that was for like an hour. The girl looked really sad about it, but I was just sitting back in my chair, I've gotten in a whole lot of worse trouble than this, that is the life as a mercenary after all. I wasn't really paying attention until I heard Ruby speak. "They started it!"

"If it were up to me two would be sent to your homes with a pat on the back, and a slap on the wrist!" She slapped her riding crop on the table at that last part startling Ruby, I was not fazed though. I sat up in my chair and propped my head on in my hands.

"Is that the best you got? A slap on the wrist?" She then proceed to glare at me, obviously not used to people being unfazed by her.

"I WOULD send you home, but there is someone here that would like to meet you two." I sat back again as she stepped aside to reveal an older man walk in the room carrying a plate with cookies on it and a small paper bag.

"Ruby Rose, you….. have silver eyes." She started to stutter, but he had already moved on to me. "And you, I do not believe I have found your name?"

"Zachary Milos, Buuuut everyone calls me Zach."

"Aaaaaah, Milos." I couldn't read his expression like I usually could with people. He had an incredible poker face. "Now, Where did you learn to do this?" He refered to a tablet the Godwitch had pulled out showing the two of us fighting the thugs. Ruby was first to answer.

"Signal Academy."

"They taught you to use the most dangerous weapon ever designed?"

"Well, one teacher in particular."

"I see." He then placed the plate on the table and handed me the bag. I took it and curiously looked inside. In it was all the dust I was going to buy, plus a couple extra. I looked up at the man surprised. "Consider it a gift for doing a good deed." Ruby had started eating the cookies on the plate. "Now where did you learn these skills?"

"I was taught by my family, I left them years ago though." The man just nodded. Ruby was still powering through those cookies.

"You know, I have only seen one other Scythe-Wielder with that skill before, A dusty old Crow"

"Thaz ma uncllle." I looked at her confused. Until she quickly swallowed. "sorry, that's my uncle Qrow, He's a teacher at Signal. I was complete garbage until he took me under his wing, and now I'm all like Hwaaaaa, Hwauuuuuu" She then proceeded to make kung fu noises while I quietly chuckled at her childish nature.

"So I've noticed, and what is an adorable girl such as yourself at a school designed to make warriors?"

"Well, I want to be a Huntress."

"You want to slay monsters."

"Yeah, I only have two more years of training left at Signal, and then I'm going to apply to Beacon, see my sister is going there this year, and she's trying to become a huntress, and I'm trying to become a Huntress because I wanna help people and my parents always told us to help others and I thought hmmm I might as well make a career out of it. I mean the Police are alright, but the Hunters and Huntress's are so much more romantic and exciting and cool and aghhhghgh, you know?!" She earned a glare from Goodwitch.

"Do you know who I am?" I decided to speak up.

"You're Professor Ozpin, The current Headmaster at Beacon Academy, a Hunter no less." He looked at me amused.

"Hello."

"Nice to meet you."

"Ditto."

"You want to come to my school?" He was directed at Ruby, asking her.

"More than anything."

"Well, okay." She then squealed in delight and ran over and hugged me. I was happy for her, she was getting the chance of a lifetime. "And what of you Zachary?" I looked up, surprised.

"What?"

"Would you like to come to my school as well?" I looked at him suspiciously and pried Ruby off me. She sat back down in her seat and was nodding her head at me like I should absolutely say yes.

"I can imagine someone as high up as you must know of my family?" He frowned and nodded.

"And by hearing my name, you must know of who I used to be?" He nodded once again.

"Yet, you would still invite me to join your school and become a Hunter?"

"You said it was the man you used to be, have you left it behind you?"

"Of course, that life was not for me."

"Then make a life of your own and become a Hunter!" I hesitated. That is saying a lot for me too, I never hesitate.

"Well, I get the feeling I'm never going to get a chance like this again, so yes, I would love to join your school."

"I can't believe my baby sister is going to Beacon with me. This is the Best Day EVER!" I had made it to the Bullhead right as it was leaving for Beacon with my one duffle. I was waiting on the Plane when I heard that turned to see Ruby getting crushed in a hug by some tall blonde chick. I walked over to them right as she let go.

"Hey, Ruby,what's up?" Ruby looked at me, obviously sad about something. The older girl was looking at me suspiciously, like I was going to punch Ruby in the face and run away. It was fine by me though, I got to get a closer look at her as well. She had long Blonde hair that ran all the way down her back and a beautiful face. Her clothes consisted of Yellow and Brown. I also couldn't help but notice that she had some nice curves. All in all, the best way I could describe her is as being really hot.

"Hey, Zach. Sorry, I'm just worried I'm going to cause a scene at Beacon because I'm younger than everyone else."

"Naaah, Everyones going to think that you're cool! I mean you did get into Beacon without taking the Entrance Exam, not to mention you're two years younger than everyone else!" That just seemed to make her more depressed.

"But I don't want to be the noticed by everyone, I just want to be the regular girl that goes to school!" She then looked at me. "Aren't you worried that you are gonna get attention about not taking the Exam either?" The Blonde girl squinted her eyes at me like she was studying me.

"No, I think I'll fit in fine, I am the same age as everyone else here, though, so I guess it'll just be easier for me!" She then slumped down a little bit. "look it'll be fine, I'll help you get through everything, now do you want to introduce me to your friend here?" She was full on glaring at me now.

"Oh yeah! Zach, this is my sister Yang. Yang this is Zach. He helped me fight the guys the raided the Dust shop!"

"Oh that's cool, here Zach, why don't you and me talk for a second over there." The windows were then covered by a hologram of Goowitch as she gave information on the raid Ruby and I stopped. When Yang saw that Ruby was occupied with that, she dragged me to the other side of the ship and pushed me up against the wall with incredible strength. I could tell that she was about to yell at me, an I had already figured out why.

"I'm not seducing your sister." She then dropped me back to the ground in surprise and I ducked to her side where I wasn't between her and the wall. "Look, I can see that you are very protective of your sister, and that's fine. If anything, I'm on your side. Ruby isn't ready to grow up, and the reason i want to "get her through the school year" is to keep her from getting corrupted by the people that will easily corrupt her. Now are you going to stop me, and keep attacking me, or are we going to be friends, so that we can better protect her together?" I caught her completely by surprise, though I was completely playing on a guess and on hope as well. Her mood suddenly changed from that anger, to a much more friendly look.

"Okay, you got it, Zach. You want to protect her, I want to protect her. But I'm going to let you know now." She took a step closer so she was in my face. Her eyes, for some reason going from a lilac color to red. "If you even make the slightest move to hurt her, you are a dead man." She then took a step back cooling off, blinking as her eyes turned back to Lilac as she walked back to her sister. She didn't scare me though, nothing scared me anymore.

"Alright then, this is going to be a busy year for me!" After saying that I walked back to the two sisters, as a Blonde boy ran past looking like he was going to vomit. I then heard the sisters.

"Hey Yang you've got some vomit on your shoe."

"Grossgrossgrossgrossgrossgross!"

"stayawayfrommestayawayfrommestayawayfrommeeeee!"

_Yeah, Busy isn't even going to scratch the surface._


	2. Chapter 2: The Shining Beacon

The bullhead had begun it's descent to the front of the enormous school ahead. I was still with Ruby and Yang and we were just gaping at the huge building.

"Wow, that is…. well, let's just say more than impressive."

"Yeah, that's for sure!"

"Totally!" The doors finally opened and the groups around us all merged together and started to move towards the school. We were walking towards the school when the Blonde boy that Ruby had earlier named "Vomit Boy" ran past everyone else and started heaving into a trashcan right outside the entrance. We kited past him, not wanting a second round of puke. When we had made it just past the front gates, we stopped and looked up at the huge school. Yang crossed her arms and said.

"The view from Vale has nothing on this!" Then Ruby started to freak out and point to all the kids walking past.

"Ohhhh, look guys, that kid has a collapsable staff! Ohhhhhhhhh and she's got a Fire Sword!" She started to walk off towards the passing students until I pulled her back by the hood.

"Easy there, friend. Their just weapons."

"Just weapons! Their an extension of ourselves! A part of us! ohhhh, their soo cool!"

"Well, why can't you swoon over your own weapon?" I nodded at Yang.

"Yeah, aren't you happy with it?" Ruby then brought out her red and black Scythe and started to cuddle with it.

"Of course I'm happy with Crescent Rose, I just really like seeing new ones. It's like meeting new people!" I just laughed and agreed.

"Yeah, but better!" We stood side by side and fist bumped.

"Weeeell, why don't you go meet some new people. I mean, you can't just follow around Zach all year!"

"Why would I need to meet new people if I have you two?"

"Weeell, actually my friends are here now, gotta go catch up, see ya Byeeeeee!" Yang then ran past Ruby, sending her into a spinning daze. I was smart and got out of the way of Yang as she ran past. I chuckled as Ruby started to fall backwards into a bunch of white colored luggage.

"What are you doing?!"

"Sorry!" I reached over and helped her up from the ground.

"Sorry? Are you any Idea of the damage you could have caused?!"

"Uhhh." She started to help pick up the other girls luggage before she snatched it out of Ruby's hands. She then opened the box to reveal a bunch of Dust Crystals. She then started lecturing Ruby on dust, shaking around a fire dust vial to prove her emphasis. I was already deep in thought though, White clothing, scar on her right eye, Tons of Dust packed and ready to go. This could only be the famous Weiss Schnee. Then the dust she was shaking around exploded as Ruby sneezed. The bottle flew out of Weiss's hand and across the courtyard.

"Unbelievable! This exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!"

"Look, I'm really sorry."

"Ugh, You complete Dolt. What are you even doing here, aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?"

"Well I-"

"This isn't your ordinary combat school, it's not just Sparring and practice you know, We're here to fight monsters. so Watch where you're going!" I thought that this had been going for long enough.

"Hey, princess cut it out will ya?! She had an accident, so what it's not her fault you were flinging dust everywhere like a maniac!"

"It's Heiress actually." I turned to see a girl with black hair and black clothes walk up to us, She had a large black bow atop her head that really didn't fit the outfit. She raised the dust vial that went flying out of Weiss's hands. "Weiss Schnee, Heiress to the Shnee Dust Company. One of the largest producers of Energy Repellant in the world."

"Finally, some recognition!" I couldn't lose this chance to piss her off.

"The same company Infamous for it's controversial Labor forces and questionable Business Partners." The new girl looked at me for a second with an impressed expression, until she really got a look at my face, she then had a look of horror for half a second before she composed herself once again. Ruby and Weiss didn't seem to notice but I sure did. _Does she know me?_ Weiss had already to turned to me though.

"What? How dare- just- Ugh!" She turned and snatched the vial back from the girl in black and stomped off, her servants following with her luggage. Ruby took a step forward and waved to her back.

"I promise I'll make this up to you!" I smiled and shook my head at her before turning around to see the girl in black walk off as well. As if deep in thought. I turned back to Ruby to see her slide to her knees and then back to the ground.

"Welcome to Beacon." I was about to walk over to help her up, but a scrawny blonde kid beat me to the punch.

"Hey, I'm Jaune." He put his hand out to pull her up. I knew that she could make a friend with this guy. He was the perfect candidate considering his posture, attitude, and complete uselessness. I smiled and walked back to the school, leaving the two of them to get to know each other.


	3. Chapter 3: The Shining Beacon Part 2

When I walked into the auditorium, I first saw Yang waving back to her friends as she found an empty spot in the middle of things. She must be waiting for me and Ruby.

"Hey, Yang, what's up?"

"Hey, Zach, just waiting for my sister, where is she?"

"She is making a new friend as we speak."

"Really? Who?"

"Remember that guy on the bullhead that was throwing up." She just looked at me kinda blankly.

"My sister is making a friend out of the guy that embarrassed himself in front of everybody?"

"Yep." We both started at each other for a moment before we both started laughing.

"Hahahaha, yeah that sounds exactly like her!"

"The best part was that the guy helped her up off the ground and was talking to her like some kind of lady killer!"

"Hahahahahaha, yeah, that guy couldn't get a girl like Ruby even if he tried his absolute hardest!" We kept laughing for awhile before we say the two of them walk in.

"Ruby! Over here! We saved you a spot!" Yang was smiling and waving while I just smiled and nodded in her direction. We saw her make a quick goodbye to Jaune and walked over to us.

"How's your first day going, little sister?"

"You mean when you ditched me and I exploded?!"

"Yikes, meltdown already?"

"No, you don't get it, she actually exploded a hole out front."

"Yeah, and there was some fire, and I think some ice." She smiled and looked at the two of us.

"Are you guys being sarcastic?"

"I wish! I tripped over some crabby girls luggage and then she yelled at me, and then I sneezed, and I exploded, and then she yelled again, and I felt really, really bad, and i just wanted her to stop yelling at me." I noticed Weiss had started sneaking up behind Ruby, hearing every word she was saying.

"YOU!" Ruby then jumped into my arms in fear.

"Ahh, It's happening again!"

"Your lucky we weren't blown off the side of the cliff!"

"Oh my god, you really exploded."

"It was an Accident!" She jumped out of my arms and stood facing Weiss. Weiss then pulled something out of her bag and pushed it in her face. It was a Pamphlet labeled "Dust for Dummies". I pulled it out of her hand and started reading from the first page.

"The Schnee Dust company is not responsible of any Injuries or damages sustained while operating a Schnee Dust Company Product although not mandatory, the Schnee Family suggests you read and familiarise themselves with this easy to follow guide to dust application and use."

"Do you really want to make it up to me?" Ruby then perked up and looked at her.

"Absolutely!"

"Read that and never talk to me again." I gave her the pamphlet and she stuck it in her skirt.

"Hey it looks like you two just got off on the wrong foot."

"Yeah, why don't you two start over and try to be friends?" I said.

"Yeah, Great Idea Zach. Hello Weiss, I'm Ruby. Wanna Hang out? We could go shopping for school supplies?"

"Yeah, and we can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys like tall, blonde, and scraggly over there." Jaune looked up when she referred to him.

"Wow, Really?!" There was a second of silence while Weiss glared at Ruby.

"No."

"Wow, you really have to be a bit-" I didn't finish my sentence when Ozpin had walked up to the Microphone and cleared his throat into it.

"I'll keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you are finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But, I look amongst you and all I see is wasted energy. In need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this but your time at this school will show you that knowledge will only carry you so far." He seemed to be staring right at me when he said that. "It is up to you to take the first step." He then walked off the stage and Professor Goodwitch took his place.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight and tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready, you are dismissed."

The four of us just stood there for a moment before I broke the silence. "He seemed kinda….. off." Ruby then pitched in.

"Almost like he wasn't even there." That was when jaune the "Lady Killer" Decided to step in and try his luck on Weiss.

"I'm a Natural Blonde, you know." All four of us face palmed.

It was much later in the night and people had started unraveling their sleeping bags. I got my bag and turned around to find pretty much every spot taken, that was when I saw the only spot left available next to Yang. I picked up my bag and walked over to her.

"Hey, mind if I set up here?" She looked up at me from her scroll and smiled.

"Not at all, go right ahead." I quickly set down my black sleeping bag and took off my shirt and jacket, leaving me in just my jeans for a second. I was about to throw on a more comfy shirt when I noticed Yang staring at my my six pack.

"What?" She then looked at my face in surprise and looked back down at her scroll.

"Nothing, whatever don't worry about it." She was obviously flustered, and since I was so great with people, I could tell that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, but since I wasn't a torture artist, I slipped on an under armor shirt and laid down on my sleeping bag. Then I looked over to beyond Yang and noticed Ruby writing down something.

"What's that?"

"A letter to the gang back at Signal, I promised to tell them all about Beacon and how things are going?" Yang got off her Scroll just in time to hear that.

"Awww, that's so cute!" She quickly got a pillow to the face from Ruby because of that.

"Shut up, I didn't get to take my friends with me to school, It's weird not knowing anyone here!"

"At least you know me. I came to this school a year younger than everyone else, I don't know anybody, but at least we can stick together through this!" She smiled at me.

"Yeah, I know and I'm happy that I'm your friend, but based on friends at Beacon, I've got Jaune and that's it." Yang had pulled the pillow off her face and was smiling again.

"Hey, that's a one hundred percent increase!"

"Yeah, well Weiss makes a negative friend, back to zero."

"There's no such thing as negative friends, you just made one friend and one enemy!" Yang got yet another pillow to the face for that comment. I looked at her, knowing that she'll do just fine in this school.

"Look, Ruby, it's only been one day, You've got friends all around you, you just haven't met them yet!" The three of us looked up as we saw someone light a candle. We looked over to see the girl wearing black from the explosion out front today. She appeared to be pulling out a book.

"That girl…." I still wanted to know how she knew me, but if I was going to find out, it wasn't going to be today.

"Yeah, her…" Yang was looking at us confused

"Do you guys know her?" Ruby spoke up.

"Not really. She saw what happened this morning but left before I could say anything."

"Well, Now's your chance!" Yang got up and started to pull Ruby towards the girl. I thought I should stay behind, if she did know me, it would spook her if she saw me again. When Yang noticed this though, she turned around held me by the ear, and pulled me and Ruby to the girl.

"Helloooooo, I believe you three may know each other?" When Ruby and I broke free and pulled ourselves upright. She was looking up from her book.

"Aren't you the girl that exploded?"

"uhhh, yeah. My names Ruby." She held out a hand to the girl, which she ignored.

"Yeeeeah, hey. My name's Zachary Milos, but everyone calls me Zach." Her eyes widened when she heard my last name, so I knew that she knew me. I'll have to follow up on it later.

"Okay." She seemed completely uninterested in us and had gone back to her book. Yang whispered to Ruby.

"What are you doing?"

"I don't know Help me!" I couldn't stand this any longer though.

"So, what's your name?" She rolled her eyes at me.

"Blake."

"Well, Blake, I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister. I like your bow."

"Thanks."

"It goes great with yourr… Pajamas."

"Riiiight." She was now basically ignoring us and had gone back to reading her book again. I spoke up again.

"Nice night, dontcha think?"

"Yes, It's lovely, almost as lovely as this book." She then waited a moment as we looked at her in silence. "That I will continue to read. Once you leave." Yang then lost all hope.

"Yeah, this girls a lost cause."

"What's it about?"

"Huh?" I had gone out on a limb and connected with the only thing I could connect with her about. Books.

"Your book. Does it have a name?"

"Well, It's about a man with two souls, each fighting over control over his body." Ruby then looked nostalgic as she thought about her past.

"I love books. Yang used to read to me every night before bed. Stories of Heroes and monsters. Their one of the reasons I want to be a Huntress." I raised my eyebrows in surprise. I had not heard this story yet.

"Why's that? Hoping you'll live happily ever after?"

"Well, I'm hoping we all will! As a girl, I wanted to be just like those heroes in the books, as someone who fought for what was right, and protected people who couldn't protect themselves."

"That's very ambitious for a child, unfortunately the real world isn't the same as a fairy tale."

"Well, that's why we're here. To make it better!" Then Yang went in for a hug, saying she was proud of her baby sister, but ended up starting a wrestling match between the two, when I looked over, I saw Weiss starting to walk over, looking pissed. Before she could get here, I put my hand over the candles flame. When Blake grabbed my hand, to stop me from burning my self, I took it back and smirked at her.

"Just watch." I reached out again and snuffed out the flames with my fingers, without leaving a burn behind.


	4. Chapter 4: Initiation

"Wonder what they're all worked up about?" Ruby, Yang, and I were in the locker rooms, getting our gear together. I always kept Blood and Glory with me in watch form, so I just came to hang out with the sisters. I had noticed a girl getting progressively excited, following a quiet boy.

"Oh who knows?" Yang turned to Ruby. "Anyways, you seem awfully chipier this morning?"

"Yep, no more awkward small talk, or getting to know you stuff, today, I get to let my sweetheart do the talking!" She had pulled out Crescent Rose and had started cuddling with it again." I spoke up.

"Well, remember Ruby, you're not the only one going through initiation. If you wanna grow up, you're gonna have to meet new people and learn to work together!"

"aggggghhh, you sound like my daaaad!" She then slammed for scythe back into her locker. "Okay, first of all, what does meeting people have to do with fighting, and secondly, I don't need people to help me grow up! I drink milk!" Yang rolled her eyes.

"Well, what about when we form teams?"

"I-I don't know, I'll just be on your team, or Zach's or something."

"Maybe you should try being on someone elses team." The second she said that, I could see what was about to happen.

"My Dearest Sister Yang, are you implying that you do not wish to be on the same team as me!"

"What? Nooo, of course I do! I just thought, I don't know, maybe it could help youuuuu-" I cut in before she could say something worse.

"Break out of your shell!" Yang nodded at me.

"What?! I don't need to break out of my shell! That's absolutely-"

"Ridiculous! There's no way i put my gear in locker 636 yesterday! I would have remembered having to count that high!" Jaune had walked in between us, looking for his gear.

"Look either way, you're going to have to team up with someone. I suggest you start thinking about who." Ruby groaned as I walked over to where Weiss was scheming behind the back of a redheaded gir-... could that be her? "Pyrrha?" She turned around to see that I had guessed correctly. "Zach?! What are you doing here?" She smiled and gave me a hug.

"I was accepted into Beacon! Why didn't you tell me that you were applying here?"

"Wait, wait, wait! Do you two know each other?" Weiss had cut in after staring at us for a moment. Pyrrha smiled and spoke.

"Yes, this is Zach. We worked as partners for a long time in tournaments! I'm surprised you haven't heard of him."

"Well, she probably didn't recognize me by this name." I turned to Weiss. "You may recognize me as Falling Star." Her eye's widened for a moment.

"You're trying to tell me, that you are one of the most powerful gladiator fighters ever?!"

"I always hated the name, but Pyrrha thought it would be a good idea if I didn't use my real name. So that people wouldn't recognize it." She then became a whole lot more friendly than when we last met.

"Well, If I had known that you were so powerful, I wouldn't have treated you the way I did!" I nearly busted out laughing right there.

"Are you really going to try to suck up to me, just because you think I can make you more powerful?" She then looked surprised and started to stutter. "Yeah, that won't work on me. And Weiss, the only thing that's gonna make you more powerful, is if you have a leader good enough to deal with your attitude!" She huffed at me and looked away.

"You know what's great? Me, Jaune Arc, nice to meet you again!" Jaune had tried his luck on Weiss again, but when she saw him, she just looked away in annoyance. Pyrrha though jumped forward to get him to look at her.

"Nice to meet you, Jaune." He brushed past her and tried Weiss.

"Yeah, yeah. So, Weiss. Couldn't help but overhear your fondness of me the other day."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!"

"Don't worry no need to be embarrassed! SO, been hearing rumors about teams, thinking you and me would make a good one! What do you say?!" I was about to bust out laughing at this point, how could a guy like Jaune, be so confident with a girl like Weiss! This was hilarious! Before I could pull Jaune over and tell him to not hit on Weiss, so he wouldn't get his nuts kicked in, Pyrrha said something.

"Actually, I believe the teams are comprised of four students each, sooo-"

"You don't say, well." Jaune then, as quick as light stepped over to Pyrrha. "Weeell, hot stuff, play your cards right and you may end up with the winning team!" I was about to step in between them, Pyrrha was a great friend of mine, and I wasn't going to let her get hit on like the next girl around! That was, until I saw Pyrrha's face. She was smiling bigger than I had ever seen her smile before. I realized that Pyrrha must have feelings for Jaune! That's why she keeps trying to butt in on his trying to be the "Lady Killer". Weiss then stepped in between the two of them.

"Jaune was it? Do you hve any idea who you're talking to?"

"Not in the slightest, Snow Angel." I also shit in my pants right there.

"Really? You don't know who Pyrrha Nikos is?"

"Hello again!"

"Pyrrha graduated top of her class at Sanctum."

"Never heard of it." I was amazed by this guys complete lack of perception at this point.

"She's won the Minstral Tournaments four years in a row! A new Record!"

"Hey,hey! She couldn't have done half of those without a certain partner she fought with!" They all ignored me.

"The what?" Did this guy live under a rock for the past five years? Weiss had lost her patience at this point though.

"She's on the front of every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes box!"

"Oh come on! I was on that box, too!"

"HWAAAAAA, that was you guys! They only do that for Star Atheletes and Cartoon Characters!" I stood next to Pyrrha as a Pumpkin Pete's box rose up behind us.

"Yeah, it was pretty cool." Pyrrha had to down it though.

"Sadly the cereal isn't very good for you!"

"It wasn't that bad, I ate that cereal for a month after that shooting!" She looked at me sarcastically.

"Yes, you also threw up and became seriously ill at the end of it!"

"Yeah, whatever." She smiled and looked back at the others when Weiss jumped up in front of us again.

"After hearing all of this? Do you really think you're in a position to ask her to be on your team?"

"I guess not, sorry." Pyrrha, being the nice person she is, stepped forward and put a hand on Jaune's shoulder.

"Actually Jaune, I think you'd make a great leader!"

"Ohhh, stop it!" I looked at her and smiled. She would be the only other one that saw that in a guy like Jaune. Weiss had started getting impatient again though.

"Seriously, please stop it. This behaviour isn't to be encouraged!"

"Sounds like Pyrrha is on board for team Jaune. Spots are filling up quick! Now I'm not supposed to do this, but maybe I could pull some strings, what do you say?" Wow, Weiss again after the constant put down shes had on you? At least he's persistent! I just wish he would see Pyrrha a little more clearly.

"Okay, that's a bit too close! Pyrrha! A little help please!" I looked back just in time to see Pyrrha pull out her Javelin. I sighed and ducked as it went flying past me and into Jaune's hood, effectively pulling him across the room. Pyrrha called out to him halfheartedly.

"I'm sorry!"

"You know, Pyrrha." I put a hand on her shoulder. "You don't always have to go to the extremes." She laughed and punched arm playfully before we heard Goodwitch over the intercom. "Would all first year students please report to the Beacon Cliff for Initiation. Again, all first year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately." Everyone started to walk to the door, but I started to head back to Ruby and Yang when Pyrrha suddenly grabbed I looked back to see a serious look on her face. "You and me need to talk about where you were for the past two years!" I smiled and placed a hand on her head, as if I were the older of the two of us, even though she was a year older than me.

"Later, We can talk after the initiation. For now, let's head to the cliff." I turned and walked to the sisters as she walked to the door, freeing Jaune from the locker on her way out. I met with them as they were passing Jaune on the ground. Ruby put out a hand to help him up.

"Having some trouble there, Lady Killer?"

"I don't understand! My dad said all women look for is confidence, where did I go wrong?" Ruby started to pull JAune onto her shoulder, and I took the other one. Yang followed behind us.

"Snow Angel probably wasn't the best start." We walked to the door and out to the cliff. On the cliff were countless plates in the ground. We were told to stand on the plates until further orders. I was on the very last one on the right, with Jaune to my immediate left. Professor Goodwitch and Ozpin were the only ones out here that weren't students. Ozpin started the speech.

"For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today you abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

"Now I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams. Well, let us put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates, Today."

"These Teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon, so it is in your best interest to be paired with someone you can work well with. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years." I could literally hear Ruby's world shatter. I smiled. Of course Ozpin would think of something like that. Put the kids in a situation where they must adapt and behave differently in order to come out stronger. Very clever. "After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path or you will die." I heard Jaune gulp next to me. "You will be monitored and tested for the duration of the initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path, containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

"Yeah, umm sir?" Jaune had raised his hand.

"Good! Now take your positions!" Everyone started to get into various combat ready postions. I simply crouched down, ready to jump off.

"Uhhh, sir? I've got umm, a question." Weiss was then launched into the air by the plate underneath her. "So this landing strategy thing." I ignored Jaune at this point. He must be joking about that. I looked over at Ruby, and then Yang just in time to see her wink at me and put on some Aviators. I smiled as she flew into the with a yell. Jaune was then launched into the air. I looked at Ozpin and he just smiled at me. That annoying smile like, "I know something you don't". I was puzzled for a moment before I was launched into the air. I looked down and saw the trees flying by below me. I put my right hand on my watch and pressed the button. I then slammed my fists together as Blood and Glory formed on my arms. Once they were completely set in a second or so, I put my arms at a 90 degree angle out from me and slammed the thrusters at full blast. That propelled me forward over the forest as I basically flew on the air.

"WOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" I kept flying for a while before I cut the thrusters and started falling towards the ground again. When I got to the tree line, I did the stupid idea. I turned head to the ground and powered my thrusters again, flying myslef towards the ground. At the last second, I pulled into a ball and rolled a couple of times on the ground. _Seems like a good as time as any to show off for the cameras._ After rolling I jumped up and used my momentum to do a couple of somersaults until I landed square on my feet. I quickly found a camera strapped to a tree and smiled into it, giving off finger guns to Ozpin as he watched me.

"Wow, that boy has an ego larger than the forest itself!" Goodwitch was looking down at her scroll as she got the finger guns from Zachary. "By the way, I must ask. Usually you make sure we have an even number of students, so that we have equal teams, yet this year, we have one extra. Did you have a miscalculation?" Ozpin was sipping in that mug of his gazing out into the emerald forest.

"No, Glynda, that was no miscalculation."

"Then…. Oh you can't mean-"

"I do indeed. I see that boy and I know that he has hidden potential. He will make a Great Leader one day."

"But his family name! Aren't you worried that he will become noticed again, after the time he spent hiding from them!" Ozpin then turned around to face Goodwitch and pulled out his scroll.

"That boy has never hidden from his family. He never left on his own, and He never forgave them for what they did." Ozpin then clicked a couple of times on the scroll until he had pulled up a folder labeled 'Milos'. He then handed it to Goowitch and faced the Cliff again, drinking his coffee. She looked over it with interest. Until she found a newspaper clipping from 6 years ago.

"Zachary was….. kicked out of his family?"

"Yes, it took me a large amount of time, and countless favors to gather all that information. He has been using the abilities that his family trained him with to become very large in many different ways. He even fought beside Miss Nikos for an extended time!"

"If he had all these skills, then why was he kicked out of his family? Wouldn't they have loved to have another fighter in their… Organization?"

"That is why they trained him after all. They found him to be stronger than his brethren and with a rare Semblance no less, but one thing stopped him from joining them."

"What was that?" Ozpin turned around and looked her dead in the eye.

"When they told him to kill, he wouldn't."

"Okay, I need to get to the Temple." I started to jog in the direction of the far cliff. After a couple minutes of that warm up, I got to a real travelling speed. I started to speed up, and then jumped up and started to climb a tree at full speed. When I got to the top, I balanced on the top branches and pushed my arms out again, ready for takeoff. That was when I saw the Nevermore. It was waaay bigger than what I have seen before, must be a century old. I realized that if I went airborn, that big guy would chomp me out of the sky. I slowly climbed back down the tree and started running on foot. after about an hour of running, I came across a couple of Beowulves. I ran out of the tree bushes and pulled back a fist, at top velocity, I slammed the thrusters on that arm and sent the Wulve out of the clearing, I turned to the other right as it pounced on me. I raised my arms and all the Grimm got was a mouthful of full plate Steel. I quickly put my feet at his stomach and pushed out, I sent the Grimm flying into the air, I quickly got up and as the Wulf came down, I punched it full on, sending it flying into a bunch of trees, breaking through about six of them before the corpse finally came to a stop. I got up, brushed off my jacket and kept running. After that last encounter, I was in the mood for Combat, I was pumped up! When I came across a small group of Ursa, five or six, I ran at them full speed, catching them by surprise. I sent an uppercut into the first Bear sending it back, while the others tried to get a pounce on me. I jumped over all of them as they smashed together and smiled. I charged my fist up with fire, midair, My right gauntlet started to flame up red. I then slammed down onto all of them at once, decapacitating all of them. Their bodies slunk to the floor as I stood in the middle of Grimm blood and headless bodies. I smiled at the dead Grimm, boosted over the bodies, and continued my run.

"Fire. That was the Semblance that he was born with." Ozpin and Goodwitch had been watching Zach's progress.

"Element Control is indeed a very rare Semblance. Most of the time Elements are intertwined with other Semblances, but are rarely seen as a Semblance of their own. Their Rarity matches their power though, without the use of Dust, we was able to take out multiple Ursai with a single blow."

"Yes, he is very dangerous." Ozpin took a sip from his cup as Goodwitch looked over to him. "To his enemies of course. Though the power is very suited to his family name, Many of them have had fire contained with their semblances. That is what makes them different from other family's. Somehow, their family has a genetic Semblance, yet never before have they had a boy with Singular Element Control." Goodwitch looked back down at her scroll as she watched Zachary run through the forest, almost to his destination.

_Okay, I can see the Ruins now. Wait, is that? Yep that's Yang and Blake._ I ran out of the clearing and jogged over to them.

"Hello Ladies, What's up?" They looked over to him right as he had stepped foot on the stone. Yang smiled and put out a fist which I happily bumped. Blake just nodded and leaned back on her feet, with her arms crossed, watching me.

"Sup, Zach, where's your partner?" Yang looked around as if he was hiding.

"Didn't get one, are these the Relics?" I walked past a dumbstruck Yang and looked at the Chess Pieces. I had been taught how to play as a child and loved the game, despite my laid back attitude.

"Wait wait wait. You made it all the way here….. by yourself?" I looked back at Yang.

"Yeah, what about it?" She then looked at Blake who was watching me hesitantly. She just shrugged.

"Whatever, we picked the Knight." I looked over the pieces and found a couple of them missing, I was looking over them before I stopped over a piece in the middle of the group that hadn't been touched. It was the extra Queen, a piece only used if someone was capable of getting a pawn to the other side of the board, changing the normally useless piece, into one of great importance. I picked it up with little effort and attached it to a latch on my belt.

"Okay, you guys ready to go-"

"HEAAADS UUUUUUUP!" I looked up to se Ruby falling from the sky, I was about to jump forward to catch her, as I was sure Yang did the same thing. But she was then hit by Jaune, who was flying from the forest, sending them both flying into a nearby tree. Blake looked over hesitantly and asked Yang.

"Did your sister just fall from the sky?"

"I-I" We then heard a huge rumbling when a giant Ursa came flying out of the trees before falling over dead….. and we saw the energetic girl from this morning, Nora i think, falling off it's back. She got up sadly and said.

"awwwww, it's broken." Then the quiet guy wearing green came out from behind the beast.

"Nora? Please. Don't ever do that again." He seemed out of breath. Like he was running after her riding the Ursa. But she was already gone, I looked around surprised until I saw her looking over the Rook. She suddenly took it and balanced it on her head.

"I'M QUEEN OF THE CASTLE, I'M QUEEN OF THE CASTLE!"

"NOOOORRRRAAAA!" She then came out of her chanting and slid the Rook back into her hand.

"Coming Ren!" I was completely befuddled.

"Did she just ride in on an Ursa?"

"I-" Then I saw Pyrrha come running out of the forest with a Giant Death Stalker on her tail. She was barely dodging the Stalkers claws as she ran. Ruby saw the Grimm and jumped down next to us. Yang noticed happily.

"Ruby?"

"Yang? Zach?" She put her hands out to hug Yang, but Nora jumped in between them.

"Nora!" Blake was really confused now.

"Did she just run all the way here with a Death Stalker on her tail?"

"I can't take it anymore!" Yang suddenly exploded in fire. The others took a couple steps back, but I just stood there in it. Not like it was gonna hurt me. "Could everyone chill out for two seconds before something crazy happens again?!" We all just kinda stood there for a couple seconds as Yang calmed down. I looked up and sighed.

"Ummm, Guys?" They looked at me and I pointed up. They all looked up to see Weiss hanging from the claw of the Giant Nevermore I saw before.

"Why did you leave me here?!" I looked at Ruby accusingly.

"Ruby?" She looked up at the girl hanging from the Grimm.

"I said Jump." Blake spoke up.

"She's gonna fall."

"She'll be fine." Ren then spoke up.

"She's falling." Then I saw Jaune jump from the tree he was in and catch Weiss. _Well… That was stupid_. I couldn't hear them, but I'm sure Jaune said something really corny. They both started to fall. Jaune hit the ground first, then Weiss landed on his back.

"My Hero."

"My back." I noticed he was still talking. _Wow, after that kinda fall, he hould be knocked out. He must have an incredible amount of Aura._ That was when Pyrrha was flung over to our feet by the Death Stalker. I had to make a joke.

"Well, the Gang's all here! Now we can die together!"

"Not if I can help it!" I just saw her as she sped forward and used her sniper as a boost.

"Ruby, Wait!" She ran right into the Stalkers claws as she was flung back a few feet. Yet she still got up to fight.

"Don- don't worry! I'm totally fine!" She turned around to see the Grimm right on top of her, she took a shot at it's face to no affect, then she decided to just book it. She sheathed Crescent Rose and started running.

"Ruby, we're coming!" Yang and I ran forward at full speed hoping to stop the Monster. But the Nevermore noticed her again and started shooting it's feathers at her. She missed all but one that got stuck in her Hood, keeping her in place.

"RUUUUBBY!" I put on another boost of speed, using my thrusters to push myself even faster, my feet barely touching the ground as I saw the Deathstalker go in for a killing blow. But before it got there, I heard the sound of something passing me twice my speed and power to her. I got pushed off course from the figure fifty feet away from Ruby and the Grimm ads I fell to the ground. On the ground I heard the sound of ice forming, when I looked up, I saw the Deathstalkers Claw and Tail stuck in a giant Glacier formed by Weiss, protecting Ruby from the blow.

"You are so childish!" Ruby looked up and saw her savior. "And Dimwitted and Hyperactive and don't even get me started on your fighting style! And I suppose, I can be a bit…. Difficult. But if we are going to do this, we're going to have to do this together, so if you quit trying to show off! I'll be nicer."

"I'm not trying to show off, I just want you to know I can do this!"

"You're fine." Weiss then walked away and I ran over to Ruby while she was still sitting on the ground under the trapped Death Stalker. When I got to her, I hugged her as hard as I could.

"What were you thinking?! You could have been killed in there!" I then pulled away from her and checked her for any injuries, not caring about her acts of opposition.

"Yeah, Zach I'm fine, I survived it thanks to Weiss." I continued to look over her before she pulled my face in front of hers. "Hey, I'm okay." It took me a second, but I smiled and stood back up.

"Good, I wasn't about to just watch you die like that!" I then turned and looked at Weiss's handiwork as Yang ran over as well. She hugged her sister as well.

"I'm so happy you're okay!" She then stood back and looked at me. "Thank you, Zach for helping." She ran over and hugged me as well. I accepted the embrace, however painful it was.

"Yeah, no problem. I'm not gonna let any of my friends die!" She hugged me harder when I said that. She whispered something in my ear before she let off.

"Thank you." When she let go I cracked my back and smiled at her, nodding.

"Let's head back to the others." When we got there, Jaune had noticed the Nevermore.

"Guys, that thing is circling back! What are we gonna do?" Weiss stepped forward.

"Look, there's no sense in Dilly Dallying! Our objective is right in front of us." I agreed.

"She's right, our mission is to grab the relics and head back to the cliff." Ruby nodded.

"Right, there's no point i fighting these things!" Jaune smiled at that.

"Run and Live, that is an idea I can get behind!" Jaune and Ruby walked over to the Relics and picked up two, The Knight for Ruby, and the Rook for Jaune. The Ice was starting to break from the DeathStalker and Ren was the first to notice.

"It's time we left!" I nodded.

"Right! Let's go!" I started running for the cliff, the Jaune and Ruby following behind me, the others behind them. As we were running, Ruby stopped to make sure the others got over the hill. Yang had stopped and was smiling at her little sister. Blake stopped to question her.

"What is it?" Ruby was stood upon a rock, face the others in what I would call a rather heroic stance. Yang smiled in response.

"Nothing." They both ran to catch up with us. By the time that we were halfway across the valley, we had found a bunch of pillars leading to a huge structure over a huge crevasse. The Nevermore had Perched itself atop the tower and was blocking our way to the cliff. We all hid behind pillars to think of a plan. Yang spoke over the Large Grimm's caw.

"Well, that's great!" That was when the DeathStalker came crashing out of the bushes behind us, I took initiative.

"Oh, Shit. RUN!" We all started running from the Stalker and to the Nevermore. I had an Idea. "NORA, Distract it!" She then jumped out gladly, dodging a bunch of feathers, and pulling out a grenade launcher and started shooting at the large bird, setting off pink explosions as the rest of us ran underneath it. The Stalker was coming up behind her, though. "Ren, Blake, take the Stalker, Weiss, get Nora!" Ren and Blake ran back and cut at the Grimm in a cross, knocking it back a little, while Weiss got to Nora and used a Jump Glyph to bring them out of there. Now Blake and Ren were being chased by the death stalker. Pyrrha yelled out.

"GO,GO!" She stepped back and kneeled on the small bridge shooting at the Scorpion with her rifle, Ren quickly joining her with his SMGs. Their shots did very little though, as the Stalker just kept coming. We kept running considering that there was no way the Giant Scorpion was fitting on that bridge. That was until the Nevermore slammed into the Bridge, breaking it apart, leaving Blake, Ren, and Pyrrha to fight the Death Stalker, the rest of us on the other side, I was about to issue command before Jaune beat me to the punch.

"We gotta get over there, they need help!" Nora was beside him. I got an Idea.

"Hey Jaune, Nora you go over to the others to help. And Nora." She turned to me. and I smiled devilishly. "This bridge is your new playground." She smiled and pushed Jaune back on the broken bridge before turning her Grenade Launcher into a giant War Hammer and slammed it into the the edge, effectively flinging Jaune to the other side, she then mounted her hammer and shot off as well. I watched as she used her momentum to slam her hammer into the Giant Grimm, before it knocked her back into Blake, sending her over the edge. I watched as she fell and looked down to see her sword into the Structure and as she used a ribbon to swing under the large Ruins until she could swing up to the Large Grimm, pulling her sword back and attacking it across it's back and then attempting to jump to where was at the bottom of the structure, missing it just barely. I reached out to grab her just in time, she dangled over the edge for a second as we held each other wrist to wrist. I then grunted as I pulled her up and onto the structure. She looked at me for a moment before reentering the combat atop near Yang yelling.

"It's tougher than it looks!" I jumped up to a nearby pillar and landed on top of it. I could hear Yang from where I was.

"Then Let's hit it with everything we got!" All four of them got their weapons out at started attacking it with their ranged weapons. I could see it going in for a slam to where they were a jumped forward onto their part of the structure yelling over the wind.

"WATCH OUT FOR THE ATTACK!" The Nevermore slammed it's razor sharp wings into the side of the structure, bringing it tumbling down. I didn't wait for that though, I had jumped before the hit and was now riding on the back of the Large Grimm. I Channeled as much Fire into my hands as I could and slammed my hands into the back of it's neck. The heat brought the Bird into a Frenzy, but I was persistent. I clinged to it's back for a while before it finally flung me off and next to Ruby and Weiss. I looked around to see all four of them had made it. Then Weiss spoke up.

"None of this is working!" I then looked at Ruby to see her looking at Blake and then Yang atop a pillar shooting at the Nevermore with her shotguns. I could see the plan forming in her head and smiled, knowing what she was thinking.

"Ruby, That's ingenious!" She looked over to me and smiled. "Okay, we have a plan, cover Ruby, I'm with the others, you guys got this." I ran to what was left of the bridge to see the four others fighting the DeathStalker. I powered up my Thrusters and burst forward with a jump, clearing the gap as I powered up my gauntlets with fire again. The Death Stalker had attacked the bridge and the four were going to fall in the Crevasse. I yelled to them.

"MOOOOVE!" They ran forward, Pyrrha and Jaune first. they both ran forward as Pyrrha blocked the first attack, then making a slash of her own, then Jaune was there, blocking the other claw with his shield, so that Pyrrha could jump over him and slash the other claw. Ren then ran forward shooting, and jumped onto the things tail. he started shooting the stinger until it was about to fall off before the Grimm flung him into a nearby wall. "REN!" I could hear Nora's shout, but I was focused on controling my fire and getting ready for an attack, I landed down behind Nora and ran forward "Pyrrha, Javelin, Now!" She got my plan and threw her Javelin to impale one of it's eyes. I ran forward alone and blocked it's first attack with my gauntlets and then pushed them outwards, effectively opening up the claws as I ran in and started whaling on it's face with full power, with one final blow to Pyrrha's Javelin, sending straight through it's body and out the back, sticking it into the ground nearby. The Stalkers body fell, dead. I kneeled down and just through brute strength, I picked it up and threw it's corpse off the cliff I then turned to Jaune. "Check to see if Ren s okay, I've got to help the others." He then stepped forward, as if talking for his group.

"We can still fight!" I smiled at his audacity.

"No, you guys have done enough, look after Ren, sit this one out, we got this." I then ran forward and thruster boosted over the gap again, leaving the four others in the grass, so that I could help out the girls with the Nevermore. I turned to join Weiss just as she had pulled back the giant slingshot with Ruby in it, the Nevermore was trapped in the Ice but not for long. I grabbed the back of the ribbon and pulled it back a couple feet further. Weiss rolled her eyes and said.

"Of course you two would have this idea." I looked at her.

"Can you make the shot?"

"Hmph. Can I." Ruby turned to Weiss worried.

"Can yo-"

"Of course I can!" I then pulled back ready to go, Ruby pumped her sniper and Weiss got the Glyph ready, to boost her even faster and to aim the shot. I gave the command.

"Alright on my mark, 3, 2 ,1. GO!" I let loose, Ruby Shot her sniper, Weiss set the Glyph, and Ruby went flying at the Trapped Nevermore, shooting the entire way there. When she got there, she wrapped her scythe around the Grimm's Neck and Weiss prepared speed runes all up the wall. Ruby then Yelled as she pulled the bird all the way up the cliff until she got to the top, where she shot three shots and decapitated it, landing safely on the ridge. I looked up to her proudly and watched the Giant birds body follow the Scorpions into the giant hole before I joined Yang on her pillar. "You know, your sister is something else." She smiled and looked at me, smirking.

"You are just going to continue to torture me aren't you?" I smiled and looked back at her.

"Yep."

"Russell Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, and Sky Lark. The Four of you retrieved the Black Bishop pieces, from this day forward you will work together as Team CRDL. Led By Cardin Winchester." They walked off the stage as the next four walked up. The Teams Ceremony had been going one for the past hour or so, and the last teams were coming up. "Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie, the four of you retrieved the White Rook pieces, From this day forward, you will work together as, Team JNPR. Led by Jaune Arc!" Jaune looked really surprised by this, but I was happy for him, I knew he was gonna make a good leader. Everyone was excited for him, until they were laughing when Pyrrha accidently knocked him to the ground.

"And finally Blake Belladona, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Yang Xiao four of you retrieved the White Knight Pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as, Team RWBY. Led by Ruby Rose." Yang pulled her into a hug on the stage. "Now if you four will stay up here, and if Team JNPR would come back up here." My friends all gathered on the stage and looked out into the crowd, Team Ruby on the Left, Team Juniper on the right. "Now, this year we have a little Exception to the four team rules. Both of these Teams will be led by their respective Leaders. But they will also be led by another student who shall overlook all of them together! Team RWBY and Team JNPR will be led by… Zachary Milos!" I was incredibly stunned, I walked up on the stage and shook Professor Ozpin's hand to claim my 2 teams. When we shook he said something. "I hope to see you bring your teams full potential out." I looked him dead in the eye.

"Will do, sir." As all the teams were leaving the auditorium, I found out that the two teams will be housed in two different Dorms, and I will be in a Dorm to myself. Luckily, my dorm was right next to my team's dorms. I made sure my friends were all settled into their new dorms and went to mine. It was pretty small, but that was fine by me considering it was only for me. It had one bed, a kitchen area, a small bathroom, and a small living room with an empty bookcase. I smiled, I knew I was going to love it here. I put my duffle in the living room and got straight into bed, it had been a long day and I was pretty tired. I had barely gotten comfortable when I heard a knock at the door. I grumbled and went to open the door for it to reveal none other than Yang Xiao Long! All my grumpiness and sleepiness disappeared when I saw her. She was standing with her hands on her hips in her pajamas. She seemed pretty happy to be missing sleep.

"Did you really think I was going to let you off the hook?" She walked into my dorm and brought me into a full kiss. I was startled for a moment, but kissed her back pretty quickly. I quickly led her away from the door and closed it behind me. We ended up in my bed, making out, it went on for a long while before we had fallen asleep in each others arms. That was the best sleep I have ever had.

**Okay, guys, GuffeyManipulation here! This was a completely unnecessarily long chapter that is only like that because I couldn't stop! i was going to stop it like four times, but I just couldn't do it. This is my three hour creation from tedious going back from video to writing in order to make it spot on, plus a couple other things I added to make the story a little more different than the show. Hope you guys like it! Because I ain't ever doing something as long as this again! Well, maybe. might get really bored again in the future!**


	5. Chapter 5: The After Morning

I woke up the next morning and looked around the room for a second, confused to where I was. That was until I looked down to Yang cuddled up next to me. I remembered last night and how great it was. I smiled from ear to ear before I tried to get up, very slowly, so that I wouldn't wake up Yang. When I was out of bed, I tucked a pillow under her arms, she gladly took it and smiled in her sleep. I turned to the kitchen and found the fridge and pantry was stacked with food! I pulled out a couple of pans and got a couple of things from the fridge and Pantry. After a while, I saw Yang wake up slowly getting up. I gathered the food I had been making and walked over to her with plate full of scrambled eggs, pancakes and bacon. "Mornin, sleepyhead! How do you take your coffee?" I placed the plate in her hands as she smiled up at me and walked over to the table in the kitchen.

"Cream and 1 sugar, please." I walked back to the cooking area, loaded up a plate for me, and made the coffee for the both of us. I walked over and sat down quietly. We both ate our food for a moment before Yang put her fork down and looked at me.

"So what is this?" I looked up at her surprised before I realized, I didn't really know either.

"I don't know. What would you like it to be?" She looked at me for a second before she responded.

"I really, really want this to be a one night stand, but I just can't do it. No matter how many times I look at that door, I just don't want to every time." She then took my hand that was on the table. "I want to not leave this place. I want to stay here with you." She kept her hand in mine, not letting dgo, but it was fine by me, I could sit here all day and just hold her hand. That was when I thought back.

"From the first time I met you, just one day ago, you have done nothing but impress and surprise me. I met you and the first thing you did was shove me up against that wall." We both chuckled for a second remembering the time on the Bullhead. "That was when I saw the protective sister Yang, Then there was the time where you were getting me and Ruby to meet new people that night, running into Blake and Weiss again, That was the outgoing Yang. Then it was the initiation where I saw you fight with no fear, ready to do whatever you could to protect your sister and fight a battle that was easily not in your favor, that was the Brave and Courageous Yang. I have seen all these different sides of you and I have loved every single one of them, but my absolute favorite, was the Yang I saw last night. The Yang that held nothing back and gave herself completely to the person she was with, That was the caring and Loving Yang. Now I want to see every side of you, every version I haven't seen yet and every version I want to see again. It's just a matter of if you'll let me stand by your side throughout the journey?" The was not a second before she jumped forward and kissed me. It was hot and Passionate, but it was also very gentle. I accepted her and we kissed for a good three minutes before we broke apart. We stared into each others eyes for a moment before we heard a knock at the door. We both looked at the door and then back at each other before she jumped off me and I straightened my clothes and went to the door. I opened it and saw Ruby and Weiss standing there. Ruby looked kinda worried, while Weiss was just annoyed.

"Hey, Zach. Have you seen Yang? She disappeared this morning and we haven't been able to find her." I looked back to see Yang freaking out, shaking her head.

"Uhhhh, no haven't seen her." Weiss then looked past me, into my dorm, and saw the table with two plates.

"Really? Then why would you be making breakfast for two! Now Ruby!" She then used her semblance to run past me and quickly found Yang hiding behind the couch. "Why weren't you in bed this morning? Why were you in here with Zach?" Yang stood up and laughed nonchalantly. Weiss had walked in at this point and was putting two and two together. She looked at me surprised.

"Did you two, uhhhhh-" Yang yelled from behind Rubby trying to figure it out.

"NO, WE DID NOT!" I looked around sheepishly before I noticed something on Yang's neck. A bruise that wasn't there last night. Weiss saw me looking at her and looked to, her eyes widening.

"You did!" She then looked at Ruby, she was still trying to figure it out. Luckily she hadn't noticed the hickie yet. "Hey, Ruby. Why don't we leave these two alone for a bit." She then proceeded to grab Ruby by the hood and drag her out of the Apartment, just before she leaved though, she looked at me.

"You better get this together. You have a team to lead." She then closed the door behind her. I looked at Yang, who was frozen in the living room. I walked over to her and waved my had in front of her face before she came back to me.

"Well, no way we're hiding it from this point out, might as well tell the others." She nodded.

"Yeah, but what are we going to tell them?" I looked at her surprised once again.

"Won't we tell them that we're together now?" It took her a second, but then she smiled and nodded.

"Alright, fine by me." She walked over to me and gave me a kiss before heading back into the kitchen."

"Yeah, you should probably cover up that mark before we leave though." She looked at me for a second confused before she rushed into the bathroom and looked into the mirror, seeing the bruise on her neck.

"Ohhhhhh, fuck, fuck, fuck. If Ruby sees this, she's going to tell my dad, and my dad will kill you!" I looked at her and smiled.

"Don't worry, I have a scarf that you can borrow, and I think you're exaggerating a bit." She looked worried still and came out of the bathroom to stand with me.

"No, you don't understand, My fathers and Huntsman. He will legitimately kill you!" I laughed.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, I'll get that scarf and we can leave." I ran into the bedroom and grabbed my duffel, quickly finding it and bringing it back to Yang. She took it and wrapped her neck up quickly. "Okay, now let's go see how the rest of Team Ruby is doing." We walked to their room. When we opened the door, we found Blake and Weiss sitting on their beds, uniforms already on. Ruby was in the bathroom, probably getting ready for school. Blake stood up and walked over to Yang and I as we stood next to the door, trying not to look suspicious. She stood in front of us and crossed her arms.

"Did you guys really have sex?" Yang and I started yelling at once.

"No, we didn't I swear we didn't!"

"Come on Blake! Really?!" She just shrugged and looked at us for an answer. Yang spoke first.

"Nothing happened! I swear!"

"Then why are you wearing that scarf!" She looked down at it, as if she hadn't noticed.

"What? This? This is nothing, don't worry about it!" Blake, as quick as light, pulled the scarf from Yang's neck, revealing the hickie.

"Yeah, nothing happened my ass. Now are you going to tell us, or what?" I sighed and looked at Yang for permission. She looked really worried but she nodded.

"Okay, last night, Yang and I kinda. Made out…. A lot. But that's it! We didn't have sex or anything. She just spent the night because we fell asleep." Weiss then got up and walked over to us.

"Does this mean you two are together now?" We looked at each other before we responded at the same time.

"Yes." We looked at them for a moment and they stared back. After what felt like an eternity, Blake broke the silence.

"Well, as long as you keep it out of this room, I'm happy for you." Blake handed Yang the Scarf back, which she quickly put on. Weiss agreed with Blake.

"Yeah, just let us know before you guys get… Intimate, so we can stay out of your way." Yang then said something.

"Okay, well don't tell Ruby anything yet. I want to tell her myself."

"Tell me what?" Ruby had just walked out of the bathroom in her uniform, yet her cape was still around her back. Yang sighed and looked at her.

"Ruby, I'm going to tell you something that you are not allowed to tell dad." Ruby looked at Yang curiously.

"What is it?"

"Well, Zach and I are together now." She waited for a response from her sister until Ruby smiled real big and hugged Yang and I.

"I'm so happy for you guys! Wait, what's that?" When she had hugged Yang, the scarf had come a bit undone, revealing the hickie. The younger girl then turned to me. "Did you hurt her?!" I backed up a couple of steps before Yang got in front of her.

"No, he didn't hurt me sis! It's just aaaaaa…" She was trying to find the right word when Weiss cut in.

"Love Mark! That's what you should call that for now." Yang smiled at Weiss silently thanking her. Ruby was still confused, but got over it pretty quickly.

"Okaaay, well whatever. First order of business, Decorating!" I groaned and backed out of the room quickly before I could get caught up in that. I walked back to my room happily. _What a first day to start off the school year._


	6. Chapter 6: My name is Zachary Milos

When I got back to my Dorm, I went ahead to the kitchen to clean up breakfast. It wasn't much, so it didn't take very long. After that was finished, I went to the bathroom and started the shower up. After a long, hot shower, I got dressed in my usual clothing, (Worn out black jeans, Orange t shirt, and and a Black Zip up hoodie with Orange lacings and Orange long crossed lines on the sleeves that wouldn't make sense to anyone but Milos Family members.) I then pulled out my Scroll and started downloading all my music. Wasn't going to be using it during class hours anyway. That was when I saw the time. _8:53… Well, Shit._ I ran out of my dorm and knocked on my teams doors. "Hey, everyone get ready! We've got class in 5 minutes!" Team RWBY's door flung open, revealing Weiss.

"WHAT?!" She then ran down the hallway, closely followed by her teammates. Then Team JNPR's door opened and Jaune's team scrambled out of it. Jaune squeaked out something from under his team. "We're gonna be late!"

"Come on guys!" We all ran and caught up with Team RWBY. Luckily, we made it just in time. We all sat down just in time. I found a spot on the far side of Team RWBY, next to Blake. Right as we sat down, the teacher started class.

"Monsters! Deeeeeeeemons! Crawlers of the night! Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names, but I merely refer to them as prey. HA HAAAA!" I could hear Ruby snort awake when the Teacher laughed. I leaned forward to see her trying to stay awake for class. I chuckled and leaned back again, after the teacher realized that no one was going to laugh, he kept going. "ahhhhh, and you shall too, upon graduating from this Prestigious Academy! Now as I was saying, Vale along with the other 3 kingdoms, are Safe Havens in an otherwise treacherous world. Our planet is absolutely teeming with creatures that would love nothing more than to tear you to pieces. And that's where we come in, Huntsman, Huntresses!" He then winked at Yang. I looked at Yang surprised as she looked at me sheepishly. I started to get up from my seat, a little pissed before Blake put a hand on my shoulder. I looked at her, finding her looking worryingly at my hands. I looked down to see my hands were smoking, a light flame had lightened on my knuckles. I quickly calmed down and dispersed the flames just as fast. I sat back down and leaned back. Luckily, only Blake had noticed it. I didn't want to deal with explaining my being on fire to the whole class. I looked back at the Teacher just as I heard some kid in a higher row cheer. I ignored him and kept watching the teacher. "That is what you are training to become, but first, a story! A tale of a Young, Handsome man. Me! Peter Port! When I was a boy…" I noticed half the class had already zoned out. While the teacher was losing the other half quickly. I listened, even though it was a boring story about whatever thing he did in the past, it did have some very good information on fighting Grimm. If you listened closely, you could see it. No doubt the teachers plan….. I hope. "The morale of this story, a true Huntsman must be honorable, a true Huntsman must be dependable, a true huntsman must be Strategic, Well educated, and Wise! So who of you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?" Weiss's hand flew up faster than I could think.

"I do, Sir!"

"Well, then. Let's find out. Step forward and face your opponent!" I hadn't noticed the cage at the side of the room, no doubt it had a Grimm inside. Weiss got up and quickly changed into her combat gear in a locker room at the side of the room. She took position in front of the cage. Team Ruby cheered her on.

"Goooooo, Weiss!"

"Fight well!" Blake had somehow found a RWBY flag.

"You can do it Weiss!" Then Ruby cheered.

"Yeah! Represent Team RWBY!" Weiss then looked at her, annoyed.

"Ruby! I'm trying to concentrate!" I frowned and looked at Ruby as she slunk back into her seat.

"Oh. Sorry…" How could she blame Ruby for all of us cheering? Then Professor Port spoke up.

"Alright! Let the Match, BEGIN!" He had pulled out a Blunderbuss that for some reason had axe blades coming out of the stock? He then slashed down at the cage breaking the lock. A Boarbatusk ran out of the cage and charged Weiss. She dodged out of the way, slashing the Grimm with her Rapier. The monster rounded about and looked at Weiss. "Ha ha! You weren't expecting that were you?" Ruby spoke up as well.

"Hang in there Weiss!" The Boarbatusk charged Weiss as she created a speed glyph at her feet, pushing her forward at the charging Hog. The Grimm swung it's head around at the last second, trapping Weiss's sword in it's tusks. She struggled against the Boars tusks for a moment, trying to free her sword. Ruby cheered again.

"Come on Weiss! Show it who's boss!" Weiss looked at her for a second, a very angry look on her face before the Grimm flung the Rapier out of Weiss's hands and far behind it, quickly hitting her and sending her a couple feet back. I jumped out of my seat and was about to kill the Bourbatusk that was about to charge my Teammate before Blake pulled me back from off the table, before I could do anything. I turned and glared at her, about to try to jump over the table again, before I heard Professor Port.

"Bravo! It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true huntress in waiting! I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today. Be sure to cover the assigned readings and Stay Vigilant!" Weiss then walked out of the room before talking to the rest of us. I heard Jaune say something behind me.

"Sheesh, what's with her?" I quickly stood up and looked at my teammates.

"Ruby, go to Weiss. Jaune, take team JNPR to their next class. Blake, you come with me." I was about to walk to the door, but Yang caught my arm and pulled me back. "Zach, what's going on? Are you okay?" I looked at her for a moment before I composed myself as best I could. I looked at my Teammates to see worried looks on all their faces.

"I'm fine, seriously. I just need to talk to Blake for a moment. Ruby, go." She nodded and ran after Weiss. "Yang, just please go with Team JNPR to our next class." She looked at my worried, not loosening her grip on my arm. "I'll be okay, I just need to talk to her about something from before Beacon." Yang face lightened from her determined expression a bit.

"What? What happened that you can't tell me?"

"Yang, please. I don't know if I'm ready to tell you about this yet. I'll tell you about it later, but for now, I don't think it's a good idea for you to know." I pulled her in closer to me, so that we were nose to nose. "Please, Yang. Let me go, I need to do this." She looked at me with confused eyes before she loosened her grip on my arm before letting it go. I brought her into a hug for a moment before I pulled away. I turned to Pyrrha. "Could you get them to their next class, I need to talk to her about… My family." Pyrrha's eye's widened and she nodded understandingly.

"Okay, take your time. Come on guys." They hesitated before leaving the room, leaving Blake and Myself. I stared at for a moment before I said anything.

"Where did you know me before Beacon?" She nearly fell backwards in shock right there.

"Wh-what? I d-don't know what your ta-"

"Blake, you're a shitty liar. Now tell me. I need to know you won't kill me in my sleep." She stared at me for a couple of minutes before doing what I hadn't expected. She started to undo her Bow. I watched her until she finished, revealing a pair of cat ears atop her head. Blake was a Fanus. I down in the closest chair as she pulled up another one in front of me.

"Okay, so you're a Fanus. Why have you been hiding it from the others?"

"You know why, the Fanus have been discriminated against for as long as time. Even after the war, things haven't gotten better, Fanus children are still starving in the streets and are begging for help after their parents have died. That is why I have not told anybody. I want people to see me for who I am, not what I am." There was silence between us again. I finally broke the silence.

"Okay, I can understand your motives, but how does that tell me anything of how you knew me?" She stared at me.

"You are Zachary Milos, to many you were known as the Kid kicked out the Milos Family, and to many more as the Drifter of Vale. But to my people, you were known as the exception." That brought some memories back. Wow, that was a long time ago…..

_**Four Years ago, Vale, White Fang Outpost 33**_

"Get out of here, you dirty, fucking Human!" The two White Fang soldiers guarding the door were being a real nuisance to my schedule.

"Hey, don't you want my help? It could change things for your Organization Worldwide!"

"Yeah, whatever, just get out of here before we beat your face in you little runt!" I frowned, I wasn't getting anywhere with these guys.

"Look, I have been watching this building for the past 2 months waiting for the right moment to come to you people. Some people high up in the White Fang finally arrive, and I am not going to let you two dumbass's stop me from speaking with them!" The two men drew their guns and pointed them at me.

"Who are you with, kid? The Military? The Government?" I smiled.

"I am with no one, but myself. That may change, though. Just take me to your Superiors. Oh, and take into mind, that I'm not taking no for an answer." The two men hesitated for a moment, obviously surprised that a twelve year old boy was threatening them.

"No, get out of here before we have to kill you!" I frowned again. I was tired of these men's tough talk. I looked down for a moment before I started to laugh maniacally, I looked up with an insane look on my face. The men started to shuffle on their feet and looked at each other, confused. That was when I took my chance, I ran forward and slammed one fist into the first man's face, the other hand pushing the barrel of his pistol to the ground. He fired two shots into the ground I slammed my other hand into his hand, breaking it against his own gun, making him drop it. The other guy got his bearings and took aim at me, but when he had put his gun pointed at me, I already had his friend in front of me, his own gun to his head.

"Put the gun down, Now!" I chuckled.

"Really? That's your plan, threaten the guy that has another mans life in his hands? How about this, you put the gun down, take me to your superiors, or I kill this man. Your choice." The man hesitated. He was trying to figure out what to do. The man in my hands was more loyal to the White Fang though.

"Okay, Jim. Shoot him, risk my life." The other man looked at him in surprised for half a second, but that was all I needed. I took the gun in my hand and threw at the man with deadly accuracy, effectively knocking him out. I still had the other guy in my hands, I turned him around and I kneed him in the dick as hard as I could. He fell to the ground in pain, disarmed and helpless. I quickly punched him in the back of the neck, knocking him out. I stood up then, and looked at my work. Two knocked out guys, guns on the ground, and an open door to someone I needed to talk to. I quickly took the men's guns and took out the clips, leaving the rest for them to find. After I had hidden the ammo, I touched the button on my watch and slammed my fists together, expanding my gauntlets around my arms. I then walked into the door of the warehouse. Inside was countless soldiers moving boxes or patrolling for enemies. I looked around the room until I spotted a large table at the far side of the room, with a couple people around it, looking at a bunch of documents. Even though there were at least a 3 dozen soldiers in here, there was close to no noise, just the people at the table talking. I smiled, pulled up my pants, and started walking down the middle of the room, the heels on my Combat boots clacking against the floor the entire time. The people stopped talking and were looking at me. All the Fanus in the room hd stopped what they were doing as well to watch me walk. I didn't make it halfway before 6 soldiers surrounded me, machine guns pointed at my chest. I looked around sarcastically at the soldiers surrounding me. One of them yelled at me.

"Who are you and what do you want?!" I stood back on my heels and looked at the soldier that yelled.

"I am here to help your Organization. I would also like to not hurt any of you, so if you could lower the guns, that'd be great." None of them wavered.

"Bullshit, you want to help us. You're a human. You don't belong here, now leave here before we shoot you!"

"Now, now. Would you really shoot a twelve year old boy? Much less, one telling you that he plans on helping you?" none of them said anything. "Point taken. I don't plan on leaving before I talk to those people there." I pointed behind them at the obvious leaders. "So if you could please move out of my way, that would make this much easier." The men didn't move I stayed there though, this was one of the only chances I'd get to speak to these people and I wasn't going to waste it. After a couple more minutes of deadly silence, one of the men behind me made a mistake. He shot. As fast as the bullet, I spun around and pulled my hand up. Once the adrenaline stopped pumping, I turned to the man that shot and threw something at his feet. The bullet I had just caught. I then burst forward and lit my hands aflame, punching the man in the face, most likely severely burning it. The next 10 minutes were the most brutal of my life. I dodged and blocked bullets left and right, progressively knocking out every ground soldier there. After I had knocked out the last man, I stood up straight and looked around the warehouse. There were scattered bodies all over the place, still breathing all of them, yet I was not hit once. I slowly turned around to the people at the table and started walking towards them again. I actually got a look at them this time around. The first man was very large and had a very large chainsaw on his back, tattoos scattering his arms. He looked like he was the leader usually outposted here, I was used to seeing him come in and out of this place as I had it on Stakeout. The second man was rather old, fifties maybe, and had no visual weaponry on him, but was wearing a long cloak that covered everything but his head, so I couldn't really tell. The next person interested me the most though. It was a young boy, about my age, maybe a little older, with red hair. He was wearing one of the Grimm masks that all the soldiers and the leader that was here was wearing. He also had a long Katana at his hip, his hand was already on the handle, ready to pull it out at any moment. The last person was a girl. She looked the same age as the red haired boy, and looked very protective of him. She was wearing all black clothing, had black hair, even her cat ears had black fur. I stopped a couple of feet away from the table and crossed my arms.

"My name is Zachary Milos, to many I am known as the kid kicked out of the Milos family, and to many more as the Drifter of Vale, and I have come a long way to offer my help to you people." The old man spoke first.

"How can we trust you after what you just did to our soldiers." I shrugged and smirked at them.

"I told them multiple times that I was not here to hurt your people. Though I am Human, I believe that we can help each other." The Red haired boy spoke then.

"And what do you want in return for your help?" I looked at him. He was one of the few people here I respected completely. I younger boy able to lead men without a second thought from anyone.

"I want protection, I want a place in your Ranks that gives me a place to call home, food in my stomach, and place to sleep at night. Is that so much to ask for the power that defeated all your men?" They looked at each other for a moment. The red haired boy spoke again.

"No, it is not much to ask for at all. We would like to accept your offer. You may join the White Fang, and we shall find you and adequate place you may call home in Vale."

"Wait, there is something else I want."

"What is it?"

"I refuse to take the life of another. You may send me off to whatever mission you would like, but on these missions, there will be no casualties for either side." The boy stared at me for a moment.

"That can be arranged, you will be useful on plenty of other situations. Is there anything else?" I thought for a moment.

"Yes, I would like you to promise me that I may leave your protection and Organization whenever I please. You will not own me, and I shall not rat out your entire operation to the Military."

"That can be arranged as well. We will find you a place to stay and a place in our ranks for you within the week, we will contact you when we are ready. You are the one and only Human in the White Fang and you must remember that. You must remember that you are the Exception.


	7. Chapter 7: Jaunedice

"You're with the White Fang."

"I was with the White Fang."

"You left them, for good?"

"Yes." We stared at each other for a couple minutes. I honestly never thought that Blake would be a part of such a malicious group. I was also worried. No wonder she seemed scared of me at first, she saw what I was like back then.

"Blake, you have to know. I am not the boy I was back then. It took me a long time, but I am no longer the insane psychopath I was."

"You can't become that person again."

"I was at a broken mind state back then. I had only been a couple of years since my… leave of the Milos Family." She looked at me with a softer expression than her usual stubborn attitude.

"Yes, I can only imagine what you experienced with them. I heard rumors of what they do to train their Siblings." I looked down, not wanting to think back to those days.

"They were definitely horrific" There was silence again. "But that's the past. I have changed, you have changed. All we can do now is move forward." We both stood up and put the chairs back. "Blake, I must ask something of you."

"Yes."

"You can't tell the others of my past. I must tell them myself, it's the only way." She nodded.

"Of course, and when that day comes, I'll be right there with you."

Jaune was leaning heavily on his sword, tired from the sparring match he's been in with Cardin Winchester. It's been a couple of weeks since school has started and we were in Combat Training at the moment. During some messed up match up, Jaune got paired with Cardin. I was wincing at every blow my teammate took. Jaune suddenly gave a loud yell and burst forward at Cardin, sword held high, before he was easily side stepped. He turned around just in time for Cardin s slam his mace into Jaune's back, sending him a couple of feet in the arena. Jaune lost his shield in the process, but he still got up and charged Cardin again, just to be blocked. Jaune and Cardin were crossing weapons, but Cardin was much stronger than Jaune, and pushed him back easily.

"This is the part where you lose."

"Over my dea- ohhhh" Cardin had kneed Jaune in the stomach while he was talking, sending him coughing into the ground, dropping his weapon. Cardin raised his weapon to make the finishing blow. I was about to rushed forward from my seat and stopped the mace a foot from Jaunes head. I was holding the handle just below the head. The lights suddenly came back on and Cardin roughly pulled his mace from my hands.

"Back off, asshole. This was a Duel, you aren't allowed to interfere!"

"So I was supposed to sit back while you knocked in my friends skull!"

"That's enough!" Goodwitch walked in between us with her scroll in hand. Cardin backed off and went to his side of the Arena, crossing his arms. She turned to the class. "Students, as you can see, Mr. Arc's Aura has now dropped into the red. In a tournament style duel, this would indicate that Jaune is no longer fit for battle and that the official may call the match. Mr. Arc, it's been weeks now, please try to refer to your scroll during combat. Gauging your Aura will help you decide whether it is appropriate to attack or when it is better to move to a more, defensive strategy. We wouldn't want to you get gobbled up by a Beowulf, Now would we?" Cardin huffed.

"Speak for yourself." I was about to go all out on this douche now. I took a step forward towards him before Goodwitch stood in front of me.

"And Mr. Milos. In a Tournament Style duel, it is against the rules for any outside help towards either side of the fight. The fight was under control, there was no need for you to run in to help."

"Are you kidding me? He was about to smash Jaune's head!"

"And I was right here to stop that from happening. I would have stopped it myself if you had not gotten in the way." I huffed and reached down to help Jaune up as Goodwitch continued class.

"Remember everyone! The Vytal Festival is only a few months away. It won't be long before stuents from the other kingdoms start arriving in Vale, so keep practicing. Those who choose to fight in the Combat Tournament will be representing all of Vale." The bell rung and people started towards the door. Jaune sighed next to me.

"Hey, Jaune are you okay?" He looked at me and then to the door where the Team was waiting.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just lost, that would down anyone." I sighed and we started walking back to the others.

"Okay guys, let's go." We walked to lunch together. I ended up next to Yang.

"Hey, Zach. You alright?"

"Yeah, I Just don't think I'm doing what I need to do to lead you guys."

"What are you talking about? You're doing great! We haven't been more unified as a team since you were made leader." I looked sideways at her.

"I don't know. I'm just worried about how well we'll do on the battlefield." She then stopped and pulled me in for a kiss. After a couple seconds we pulled apart. I noticed that the others had left us behind.

"You're doing fine. Everyone else loves having you as leader of our teams and I am no exception." I smiled and pulled her into my arms.

"Alright, then I guess I'll keep doing what I'm doing. Let's go catch up with the others." I then ran off, Yang squealing in delight. We made it to the lunch room right as the other's were sitting down with their food. Nora looked like she was telling one of her fantasy tales.

"So, there we were, in the middle of the night." Ren was making comments after every sentence.

"It was day."

"We were surrounded by Ursai."

"They were Beowulf's." Nora jumped from her seat.

"Dozens of them!"

"Two of them."

"But they were no match. And in the end, Ren and I took them down and made a boatload of Lien selling Ursa Skin rugs!"

"Huhhhh, she's been having this recurring dream for nearly a month now." I noticed Jaune didn't look any better than he did in the Arena. He was moving food around on his plate and not eating. Pyrrha and Ruby seemed to be the only others that noticed. Pyrrha spoke up worryingly.

"Jaune, are you okay?" He woke up from his thoughts.

"Hm? Oh yeah. Why?" Ruby spoke next.

"It's just that you seem a little, not okay." Everyone looked at him with concerned expressions. Jaune brushed off the attention like he didn't want it.

"Guys, I'm fine. Seriously, look!" He made a smile and a thumbs up until we heard someone laughing. I turned around to see Team CRDL mocking a Rabbit Fanus girl. I clenched my fists on the table and tried to keep my focus on my Teams. Yang saw me and put her hand over mine. I slowly unclenched my fist and looked at her gratefully. I then looked to Jaune as Pyrrha said something.

"Jaune, Cardin has been picking on you sense the first week of school."

"Who? Cardin Winchester? Nahhhh, he just likes to mess around, you know practical jokes!" I looked at him seriously.

"He's a bully."

"Oh please! Name one time he's "Bullied" me?" I thought of three.

"He's knocked books out of your hands countless times. He's gotten you stuck in doorways by your shield. He even shoved you into a locker and sent it to Oum knows where!"

"I didn't land far from the school." Pyrrha looked at him, concerned.

"Jaune, you know if you ever need help, you can just ask." Nora jumped up.

"Oh! We'll break his legs!" I looked to her and smiled.

"You know, I actually like that idea!" Nora smiled at me. "That doesn't mean you're allowed to do it, Nora." She then pouted and sat back down. Jaune stood up.

"Guys, really, it's fine. Besides, it's not like he's only a jerk to me. He's a jerk to everyone!"

"Ow that hurts!" I stood up faster than anyone could move and put my hand on Cardin's wrist. Through grinding teeth I commanded Cardin to let go.

"Let. Go. Of. The. Girl." He sneered at me.

"Yeah, and what are you gonna if I don't?" I looked at him, more angry than I have been in a long time. I let a little flame pop out of my knuckles, heating up Cardin's wrist.

"If you don't, then you're going to lose a hand!" He noticed the flames and quickly let go of the girl's rabbit ears. He stood a couple feet back, his Team behind him. I stood in front of the girl, letting more and more flames cover my hands, and then my entire arm. He stared at me for a moment, not sure what to do. The entire Cafeteria was silent, everyone watching us. He noticed as well and looked around.

"Come on, guys. No need to beat shit out of this freak." Team CRDL then walked out of the Cafeteria, Cardin leading his team. I stood there, staring at them as they left the room. Once they were gone, I dispersed the flames and turned to the girl.

"Are you okay?" She looked at me hesitantly before responding.

"Yes, why did you save me?" I looked at her with defiant eyes.

"I can't stand assholes that hurt women. It is unforgivable." She stared at me for a moment before standing up.

"Thank you." After she said that, she just left the room. I walked back to the others and sat down. The room slowly started to get loud again. Pyrrha was glaring at the door.

"Atrocious, I can't stand people like him!" Blake spoke next.

"He's not the only one." Yang then put her head on my shoulder.

"It must be hard to be a Fanus." I looked at Blake. She saw me and looked back, shaking her head. She didn't want to tell the others just yet. Pyrrha was looking at Jaune, concerned, as he left the room. I was watching Pyrrha. _She really must care for Jaune._ The rest of lunch was kind of quiet, nobody really knew what to say after that. Once the bell rung for the end of Lunch,I separated from the group. We had a free period, and I wanted to spend it training. I headed for the Gym, making my way over to the private rooms. Luckily, Beacon had a part of the Gym where there were about 15 extra rooms where, if reserved, you could train in privacy. I have one of the rooms reserved every week for training. I walked into the empty room, a Mirror on one wall, the other's just being blank white cement. I liked training alone so I could use my Semblance without hurting anybody. I threw my bag in the corner of the room and shed my jacket, throwing that in the corner as well. I set myself in the middle of the room and started my training, starting with a few kicks. I trained for about an hour before I heard someone open the door. I was in a handstand with only one arm, trying to hold myself up. When I heard the door, I quickly jumped up and landed on my feet facing the door. I saw Pyrrha walk in.

"Hey, Zach. Mind if I join you?" I smiled and looked at my old friend.

"Not at all, I guess I should have a Sparring partner anyways. You up for it?"

"Sure, Weapons or no weapons?" I thought about that.

"No weapons, and I promise I won't use my semblance, since your's will be useless." She smiled and walked over to me. We got into positions a couple feet from each other and started circling in the middle of the room. I spoke while we circled.

"So, how's Beacon been treating you so far?"

"Good, The teacher's are very nice, and it's good to make some new friends." She then lunged forward to jab at my stomach, but I blocked and tried for a punch to the face, which she dodged and backed up again.

"Yes, the people here are very nice." I then narrowed my eyes at her. "Especially Jaune." She looked at me as I ran forward trying for a kick, which she blocked on her forearms and pushed outwards, sending me back a couple of feet in the air. I flipped backwards and landed on my feet.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you really think, of anybody, I wouldn't be able to read your emotions?" She smiled at me.

"Yes, I guess it was stupid of me to think I could hide it." She jumped up and tried for a high punch, which I dodged and countered by pulling her arm, putting her off balance and bringing her tumbling to the floor. I walked over to where she sat and put my hand out to pull her up. She quickly accepted and jumped to her feet. I stretched and looked at my watch. _5:27._

"Well, I'm going to head back to the Dorms. Would you like to walk back with me?"

"Sure." I gathered my stuff and shrugged my jacket back on. She looked at me as I walked to her at the door.

"Okay, let's go." We started walking back, about halfway there, she spoke.

"You never told me where you've been for the past two years." I sighed and looked down.

"Pyrrha, I had to leave the Tournaments, you know why."

"That doesn't explain where you've been."

"I've been … around. Vale for a time, but I did go outside the Kingdom's after a while." Pyrrha stopped.

"Zach, I'm tired of all the vague answers! I'm tired of you shrugging me off everytime I bring up your disappearance! What happened that day?! You just disappeared from the grid! I could accept you leaving the Tournaments, but I couldn't accept you not saying goodbye!" I could hear her words start to stutter and turned around to see her eyes start to water. I walked over to her and brought her into a hug.

"Alright, I guess it's time I told you." I looked around and saw a park bench nearby. I brought her over to it and we both sat down. She looked at me pleadingly and I gave in. "I, like I said, was around. I just wandered around Vale as The Drifter again. After a couple of months, people started to notice my return to the slums and I started getting calls again. I became a mercenary. I worked for various people, mostly towards fighting Thugs in the Slums or espionage for the Military, but sometimes people would ask me to fight Grimm on the countryside. After my first encounter with the monsters I realized that they didn't have a soul. They were just animals that wanted to kill everything they came across. I realized that killing these beasts was okay. I started taking more and more jobs towards fighting the Grimm, and I loved every second of it. Killing the monsters and saving the lives of the villagers or civilians of the city was enough to make me come back for more. Though, after the day was done, I would head home, and I would cry, or drink. I was a destroyed man for what did, it was unforgivable." She then looked defiantly at me.

"It was an accident! Things like that happen in Tournaments every now and then. There's no controlling it!" I turned to her, angry.

"I could have controlled it! I should have controlled it! If I had, that man would still be alive!" I looked down again when I heard what I'd said. I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Zachary, what happened that day was not your fault." I looked up to see Professor Ozpin standing in front of me. "That man killed himself, what you did was defend Ms. Nikos here. If you had not stopped him, what would have happened to her?" I looked at him in silence for a good 3 minutes before I responded.

"You're right." I turned to Pyrrha. "He's right. If I hadn't stopped that man, he would have hurt you, maybe even killed you. I did what I had to do." I stood up and faced Ozpin. "Thank you."

"Zachary, if you need to talk to me, do not hesitate to ask." I smiled at him.

"Got it." I turned to Pyrrha. "Come on, we should head back to the others." She stood up and nodded, walking with me back to the Dorms. I hadn't noticed it get dark while Pyrrha and I were talking, when we got to the rooms I checked my watch. _9:49. _

"I better get inside, you should get some sleep, we've got school tomorrow." She smiled at me and nodded.

"Yeah, you're right. Good Night Zach."

"Good Night." I turned to my dorm and opened the door to reveal Yang already in bed. Lately, Yang has just kinda marked her area in my dorm and has been sleeping with me every night. Not that I mind, it's pretty awesome actually. I smiled and went to the bed, shedding my shirt and throwing it at the laundry basket in the corner. I slowly shuffled into the bed, careful not to wake her up. Though once I got settled, Yang turned and snuggled up on my, smiling when she found me next to her. I watched her face for a couple seconds before I leaned back and fell asleep as well.


	8. Chapter 8: Jaunedice Part 2

I slowly woke up the next morning and found Yang had already woken up and gotten in the shower. I slowly walked to the kitchen and started a batch of coffee. After a couple minutes Yang walked out of the steaming bathroom in her uniform. She was smiling cheerfully.

"Morning!" I smiled back at her and handed her her coffee.

"Good Morning, you mind waiting up for me to get ready?" She sat down at the table and sipped at her drink.

"Not at all." I smiled at her and got my uniform from the bedroom and headed into the bathroom. I came out in about twenty minutes with my uniform. I walked into the bedroom and picked up my jacket that was hanging on the back of my desk chair. Once I got that, I went back into the kitchen, got my coffee and sat down with my girlfriend.

"Where were you last night? You left to train after class and we didn't see you for the rest of the day."

"Oh, I was just out with Pyrrha. We talked for a while about the past."

"You know, you've never told me much about your past, all I know is that Blake and Pyrrha knew you before Beacon."

"And that is just about all I want you to know about my past." I then frowned and got serious. "Yang, I wasn't always the guy I am now. For a long time I was misguided, a boy that could get what I wanted because I was stronger than others. I dont want that side of me to ever surface again, so I have tried to leave my past right there, in the past." She looked at me for a while before she sighed.

"Well, baby steps, I guess." She then took my hand on the table and looked me in the eye. "But let me know when you're ready to tell me." I smiled at her gratefully.

"Thank you for understanding. We should probably get going, class starts in a few minutes." I got up and picked up my jacket from the table, quickly slipping it on. We went next door and knocked on my teams doors, Blake opened RWBY's door and Jaune opened JNPR's.

"Hey guys, class starts in 15 minutes, hope everybody's ready."

"Yes, Team RWBY is ready." Ruby and Weiss appeared behind her.

"Uhh, yeah. We're ready, too." Jaune then stifled a yawn and walked out of his dorm, closely followed by his team.

"Alright, first class. History, let's go." We started walking together to the classroom, Team RWBY leading, JNP behind them, I ended up in the back next to Jaune. He looked about to fall asleep.

"Hey, Jaune, you okay?" He looked at me with a tired expression.

"Yeah, I'm fine why do you ask?"

"Well, you look like you're about to pass out from exhaustion. What's keeping you up?"

"N-nothing, I'm just tired is all, probably going to take a nap in History, not like there's any problem with missing one day." We found ourselves at the door of the classroom. I put my hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, just get some rest, okay?" He nodded at me and walked into the classroom.

* * *

"Yes, yes. Prior to the Fanus Rights Revolution, more popularly known as the Fanus War, Humankind was quite, quite adamant about centralizing Fanus population to Menagerie. Now, this may feel like ancient history to many of you, it is imperative to remember that these are relatively recent events. Why the repercussions of the uprisings can still be seen to this day. Now, have any among you been subjugated or discriminated because of your Fanus heritage?" I saw a couple hands go up. From a higher row, I could see the girl I saved yesterday hesitantly raise her hand. Class was about half over and Oobleck was still zipping around the room during his lesson. I could see Jaune sleeping soundly at his desk, Cardin was right behind him, though. If Cardin was nearby, then trouble was inevitable. "Dreadful, simply Dreadful. Remember students, it is precisely this kind of ignorance that breeds violence. I mean, I mean, I mean. Just look at what happened to the White Fang. Now, which one of you young scholars can tell me what historians believe to be the turning point, in the third year of the war?" Weiss quickly raised her hand. "Yes?"

"The Battle at Fort Castle."

"Precisely! And, who can tell me the advantage the White Fang had of General Lagoon?" I could see Cardin had made a paper football and had it aimed at Jaune's head. I sighed as it flew and knocked Jaune out of his sleep, unintentionally bringing him to raise his hand.

"Hey!"

"Mr. Arc! Finally contributing to class! This is excellent, excellent! What is the answer?" Jaune looked at him blankly before he started to ramble.

"Uhhh, the answer, the advantage the Fanusss had over that guy's stuff." Pyrrha was trying desperately to give Jaune the answer by pointing at her eyes and trying to symbolize night vision. "uhhh, Binoculars!" The class started to laugh at his answer, I just sighed.

"Very funny, Mr. Arc! Cardin. Perhaps you would care to share your thoughts on the subject!"

"Well, I know it's a lot easier to train an animal than a soldier!" I clenched my knuckles to no avail as they started to smoke and flame up a little again. This guy was really getting on my nerves. Pyrrha spoke up below me.

"You're not the most open minded of individuals, are you, Cardin?"

"What? You got a problem?" I mumbled something under my breath.

"We will if you keep messing with my teams."

"No, I have the answer. It's night vision. Many Fanus are known to have nearly perfect sight in the dark." I could hear Cardin grumble from my seat. Blake gave the rest of the answer.

"General Lagoon was inexperienced and made the mistake of trying to ambush the Fanus in their sleep. His massive army was outmatched and the General was captured." I chuckled at their passive aggressive antics and couldn't help but help out.

"Perhaps if he had payed attention in class, he wouldn't have been remembered as such a failure." Cardin clenched his fist and started to get up before Oobleck spoke up.

"Mr. Winchester, please take your seat." Jaune was laughing at his bully's misfortune before Oobleck zipped over to him.

"You and Mr. Arc, may both see me after class for additional readings." Jaune sighed in disappointment.

"You guys go ahead, Pyrrha and I are gonna wait for Jaune." After a couple of minutes I saw Oobleck zip out of the classroom at a speed that closely matched Rubys, and Jaune and Cardin walked out behind him. Cardin pushed Jaune and walked off with a "heh" I started walking over to him, ready to beat the shit out of him, before Pyrrha held me back.

"Not the time or place, Zach." I huffed and helped up Jaune.

"You know, I really will break his legs, right?" He sighed and looked down. Pyrrha then perked up.

"I have an Idea! Here come with me!" She grabbed Jaune and pulled him behind her as I jogged behind them, chuckling. We eventually came to the roof of the Dorms. It was a beautiful night, and it looked all the much better from up here.

"Wooow, I'm gonna have to take Yang up here sometime." Pyrrha glared at me for a second. "Okay, your guy's spot, got it." Jaune looked over the edge warily.

"Pyrrha, I know I'm going through a hard time right now, but I'm not that depressed. I can always be a farmer, or something." Pyrrha then freaked out and pulled him from the edge.

"NOOO! That's not why I brought you guys up here. Jaune, I know you're having a difficult time with class, and that you're still not the strongest of fighters, sooo I want Zach and I to help you!" I smiled.

"What?"

"That's a great idea. We could train with you and help you become more powerful." Jaune just looked all the more down.

"You guys think I need help?" Pyrrha backpedaled very quickly.

"N-no! No, that's not what I meant!"

"But you just said it." I looked at him confused.

"Jaune, everybody needs a push from time to time. It doesn't make you any different from the rest of us." Pyrrha nodded in agreeance.

"Yeah, you made it to Beacon. That speaks volumes of what you're capable of!" Jaune turned around.

"You're wrong. Huhh, I don't belong here." I was surprised to say the least.

"What?! That's a terrible thing to say, of course you do!" He turned around with a frustrated look on his face.

"No, I don't! huuhhhh, I wasn't really accepted into Beacon." Pyrrha stepped forward lightly.

"W-what do you mean?" He then let out all the troubles he's had.

"I mean I didn't go to any Combat School! I didn't pass any tests! I didn't earn my spot at this academy! I lied!" He turned around and looked at us. "I got my hands on some fake transcripts and I lied!" Pyrrha looked utterly shocked.

"What? But why?"

"Because this is what I've always wanted to be! My Father, My Grandfather, and his Father Before him were all warriors, they were all Heroes! I wanted to be one, too! I was just never good enough." I stepped forward and put my arm on his shoulder.

"Then let us help you." He pulled out of my grasp.

"I don't want help! I don't want to be the Damsel in Distress, I want to be the Hero! I'm tired of being the lovable idiot stuck in the tree, while my friends fight for their lives! Don't you guys understand! If I can't do this on my own, then what good am I?" Pyrrha reached out for him, but he turned away. "Just, leave me alone, okay?" I stared at him for a moment.

"If that's what you think is best." Pyrrha looked at me like I was crazy but I put my hand up. _Later._ She understood and we walked out together, leaving Jaune on the roof. We walked back to the dorms in silence, once we made it to the doors, I broke the silence.

"Pyrrha, you go ahead to bed, I need to talk to someone." She nodded at me and went into her room, leaving me in the hallway. I started towards the school.

* * *

After a bit of walking, I found myself at Professor Ozpin's office. I ratted on the door twice before I heard him over the intercom.

"Come in." I opened the door and walked over to where Ozpin was sipping at his mug at his desk. "Hello, Zachary, what is it you need?" I sat down at the chair in front of his desk.

"I think you made a mistake making me leader of Team RWBY and JNPR. I have yet to bring out any potential from them, and have little effect in their lives." Ozpin sighed and spoke.

"Huuhhhh, Zachary, you are making assumptions on recent failures." I looked at him curiously.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Your Teams overall have been getting the best grades in the school, are some of the most advanced fighters in the school, and have been able to complete any task for school with ease. You are doing extraordinarily well as leader."

"Then why have I been failing at leading Team JNPR. I feel as if they have had various problems and obstacles that I have no part of. It is my job as leader to help them through these obstacles and I haven't been here for them."

"Zachary, you cannot hold everybody's problems upon your shoulders, you must let them work things out for themselves sometimes. The more and more stress you bring upon yourself because you feel it is your job as leader, is bringing down the abilities of yourself. You must know when to help your teammates and when to let them work things out for themselves."

"How do I make that decision? How do I know when to leave them for themselves?"

"Intuition and knowledge. If you know your Teams well enough to know whether or not they can handle a situation, then you can judge whether or not you are needed to help them."

"Okay, but I must have this burden upon my shoulders though."

"Oh? And why's that?" I looked him in the eye.

"Because I must carry on for the people that I have lost in the past." He sighed again.

"Zachary, you cannot carry the lives of dead men forever."

"I must, it was my decision to make when I took a life."

"Zachary, you mustn't think that way. If you continue to carry on, holding in what troubles you, then I foresee more problems than solutions in the future."

"What do you suggest I do? Profess the lives I've taken to the world?"

"No, I suggest you profess them to someone close to your heart." We sat in silence for a while before I spoke.

"Thank you, Professor. I must return to my Dorm now."

"Alright, Zachary, my door is open to you at any time." At that I left the room and walked back to my Dorm deep in thought. When I arrived there, I found Yang doing homework at my desk. She smiled at me when I walked in.

"Hey, Zach. What've you been up to?"

"I have been speaking with Professor Ozpin." She raised her eyebrows at that.

"What? Is something happening?" I smiled at her.

"No, everything is fine. I just needed a bit of advice."

"Alright, as long as you are okay." I smiled and walked over to her, kissing her when I got there. When we broke apart I spoke.

"I think I'm ready to tell you about my past….. About my Family." She looked at me with concerned eyes.

"Are you sure? This morning you were pretty adamant about me not knowing."

"Well, it's time I faced my past anyways. I just hope it'll be better if you are there to hear about it."


	9. Chapter 9: The Past is Unavoidable

Yang and I sat down on the couch.

"Okay, I should probably start with my Family. For generations people have been born with Semblances that help them in Combat. Everybodies Semblances are different based on the person, there has been no rhyme or reason to who got what Semblance."

"Of course. We learn this as kids."

"What's different about my family is that our Semblances are Genetic."

"What?! How is that possible?"

"I have no idea, I was never told that during my time under their household. What I do know is that every one of my relatives have Semblances based from fire."

"So your Semblance."

"Is rare among even my family. Element Control is a rare Semblance, my family has Semblances BASED on fire, like your Semblance. Anyways, that's not even the worst thing about my family. Have you ever heard of the Milos Syndicate?" Her eyes widened in terror.

"Yes,of course. Anybody that spends any time in the Slums of Vale knows about them!"

"Well, that's my family."

"You work for a mob!" I frowned.

"No, I trained in a group of Assassins." She stared at me for a couple minutes before she broke the silence.

"You're an assassin?"

"No, I was… Kicked out of the family at the age of 10."

"You were kicked out of your family? That's not how it works."

"With the Milos family it is. Not long after I was born, they saw my Rare Semblance and started my training as soon as possible. They started my training to be an assassin at age 4. I trained with my older siblings and cousins. Throughout all of them, I was easily the most powerful by age 6. My family thought I was going to start a New Era for the Milos Family. Though, I was never along with what I was training to do. I couldn't stand the fact that I was to take another persons life. My resistance to the training to kill got me consequences."

"Do you mean-?"

"I was beaten as a child."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Zach."

"It's not your fault, there's no reason for you to say you're sorry. At the end of my training at age 10, My Mentor had one final challenge for me to complete to become a full assassin in the Milos Syndicate. I was to kill my sister. My Mentor brought her out, beaten and bleeding, barely able to move." Yang put her hand in front of her mouth in shock. She reached out with her other hand and gripped mine firmly.

"Why? Why would they do that to her?"

"They didn't believe that she would be able to kill as effectively as me and that was how it was. Years later I found out that this is what they had as the final test for all the higher rank assassins in the Syndicate. They saw it as weakness if you couldn't kill your sibling, they killed you if you didn't do it, too. I couldn't do it though. I couldn't stand the thought of taking a life, and I was damn well not going to take the life of my sister. When I told my Mentor no, he nodded silently and walked over to the beaten form of my sister and snapped her neck." I looked forward trying not to cry at the memory. I barely felt it when Yang brought me in for a hug, her hand on the back of my head. It took a couple of minutes before I started to control myself. "I'm okay, Im okay. After my Mentor killed my sister, he turned to me and drew his sword, ready to kill me. I went into a rage. I went straight up in flames and started hurling fire around the room. My Mentor backed up, not sure what to do, but I had ran forward and jumped on him, pushing him to the floor. Still on fire, I got on top of him and started beating the shit out of him. After I had gotten a lot of punches in, and his face was bloody and bruised, I went for the neck, and strangled the life out of him. When I looked around over his dead body, the room was burning and the body of My Mentor was charred and burnt. I found my sister's body, luckily not touched by the flames and carried her from the mansionand away from the horrible place. After hours of walking, I finally came across a low meadow, not far from the city, and I buried her there. Every now and then I go check on her and see how she's doing. Since that day, I have never returned to the mansion or my family. If I do return, I don't know what they will do to me, but what I do know for sure, is that they never want me back there again." I stopped my story and my eyes started to water up. I finally started crying, Yang still had me in a tight hug, as if she wanted to make sure I could never leave. I cried on her shoulder for a long while before I finally stopped and we separated. I already felt exhausted from just telling her a small portion of the years before Beacon. She seemed to understand.

"Thank you, Zach. Thank you for telling me. You can tell me more about the past later for now, let's get to bed." I nodded and we got up from the couch. We both headed into the bedroom and got ready for bed. We changed into our pajamas and got into the bed. We just kinda laid there on our sides for a while, staring into each others eyes before Yang lightly kissed me.

"I love you." I smiled into the next kiss.

"I love you, too." After a while of cuddling, we both fell into sleep in each others arms.

I woke the next morning to find Yang still cuddled in my arms. I was about to get up before I realized that it was Saturday. I smiled and relaxed back into Yang and for a good while I just laid there enjoying her presence before she woke up as well. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at me and smiled, falling gently on my chest. I smiled as we laid there in silence for a couple minutes before Yang broke the silence.

"So, what would you like to do today?" I thought about it for a little while before I thought of something.

"There's someone I would like you to meet today. We can leave at any time." She looked up at me.

"Well, I can be ready in a little while if you wanna leave now?" I smiled.

"Okay, that works." She got up and headed into the bathroom, picking up a spare of clothes from the drawer on the way there. I got up as well and headed into the kitchen and made coffee for the two of us. After a couple of minutes, Yang walked out of the bathroom in her casual clothes. I walked in behind her. After I got out, I was wearing my casual clothes. I went into my bedroom and picked up my jacket before sitting down and putting my jacket on the table between Yag and I.

"You know, you never leave this house without that jacket, is there something important about it?" I smiled and held up one of the sleeves.

"Yeah, I had this Jacket custom made for me a couple years ago. These Lines on the side are actually symbols used in a written language the Milos Family uses." She picked up the other sleeve and stared at the symbols.

"What do they mean?" I looked at the sleeve and read the words in order.

"Courage. Bravery. Integrity." She smiled at me.

"Wow, that is pretty cool. Why'd you choose those words?"

"It's to make sure to remind me to practice using these attributes at all times. I was actually thinking about getting it tattooed on my back when I turned 16, but I've never really had the time for it." She smiled.

"That is really deep. I love it." I smiled at her.

"You know you're the best girlfriend a guy could have, right?" She smiled and brought me in for a kiss.

"Of course." After a while of us chatting and drinking our coffee, we finally left for the Bullheads. It was about a twenty minute ride in the plane to Vale, so we had a bit of time to sit back and relax. Once we got to the Port in Vale, we got off the Plane and we started walking to a nearby parking lot. There were only a few cars in the lot because it was a place to bring your cars if you're going to be leaving it there for a while. We walked over to a silver sedan. Yang looked at me skeptically.

"Wait. This isn't….. Yours. Is it?" I smiled and pulled some keys out of my pocket.

"1983 Buick. You ready?" She smiled as I unlocked the doors and got into the drivers seat, while she hopped in the passengers.

"You know how to drive, right?" I looked at her skeptically.

"I have my drivers license, you know." I started up the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

"Okaaaaaay, someone's full of secrets today!" I smiled. We chatted in the car as I drove us out of Vale, and eventually on a dirt road. When we got to the end, I stopped the car and sat there for a moment. All around us were trees, except for a little ahead of us where there was a clearing covered in flower. Yang looked at me surprised.

"We're meeting someone out here?" I smiled a little painfully at the memories of this place and nodded. We got out of the car and she followed me into the meadow. We walked out to the middle of the flowers where there stood a small headstone. I turned to Yang.

"Yang, meet my sister, Sayo." She frowned and looked at the headstone. It read "Sayo, a beloved sister, and my best friend." I stared at the headstone for a while. I then saw Yang put a bushel of flowers on top of the Headstone.

"Hey, Sayo. I'm Yang. Your brother and I are dating right now, so it's good that I get to meet you." I smiled at her and kneeled next to the grave. For about 15 minutes, neither of us spoke. We just stared at the gravestone. I finally broke the silence.

"At the beginning, this Meadow was a blank clearing, dead grass was everywhere, trees were half dead, barely standing. Though, every time I came back here to visit Sayo, the grass always looked a little greener, and flowers started to sprout all over the place. Now look at the meadow, flowers everywhere, sun shining down here. I believe that the goodness that was in Sayo's heart spread to the surroundings, making this meadow a better place. A couple years back, I actually had a Headstone made for her. I brought it here on my own power and placed it in the ground." We stared at each other for a moment before Yang responded.

"Zach, whenever you want to, I'll come back here with you. I want you to know that I'm here for you." She walked over and put a hand over my heart and the other on the Gravestone. "And that Sayo is here for you as well." I smiled and brought her into a deep hug. For a long time, we didn't move, but it did end and we walked back to the car. Yang stopped me from getting in the drivers seat.

"Here, let me drive. It's my turn for a surprise for you."

"Okay, sure." I handed her the keys and got into the passenger seat. She drove off quickly and straight into Lower Vale. I looked around at the familiar place. "Where are you taking me?"

"That would be a secret! Don't worry, we're almost there." I sighed as she finally pulled over.

"Okay, let's go." We got out of the car as she led me to a Tattoo Parlor. I looked at her gratefully before I brought her into a kiss.

"You really are the best in the world." She smiled back at me.

"Yup, let's go get you that Tattoo."


	10. Chapter 10: Lunch with the Teams

I walked out of the Parlour with my Jacket under my arm. I was rubbing where I had gotten the Tattoo on the top right portion of my back. I wasn't to big, but it did cover at least from an inch from my armpit to a couple inches from my mid back. It was the exact same design as the symbol on my Jacket. Yang walked out behind me, still looking back into the store

"See Ya, Geoff. Stay out of trouble!" As she was walking to me, I started for the car.

"That wasn't so bad. I'm surprised you don't have one, you seem like the kinda person that would get one." She smiled and nodded as she got into the passenger seat.

"Yeah, I've wanted to get one, too. But my dad has always said that if I get a tattoo, he'll kill me." I chuckled.

"Yeah, well you're seventeen now, a year older than the minimum for getting a tattoo without your parents signature. Why not get one?"

"I don't know. I guess I just never really thought about it for a while. Maybe I'll get one some other time. Whatever. What do you want to do now? It's still noon, we've got plenty of time."

"I don't know. How about we head back to the dorms for Lunch? We could invite the teams, too."

"Yeah, that sounds awesome. I'll text them." She pulled out her scroll and started tapping away at it. I turned back to the road and headed back to the bullheads. We quickly found our pilot and got back to the school in about 20 minutes. We walked off to the dorms and met up with our friends all waiting outside their dorm doors.

"Hey, guys! How about instead of going down to the cafeteria, today I home cook a meal?" They all smiled and nodded. Ruby spoke up.

"That sounds awesome! Thanks, Zach!" I laughed.

"It's no problem. You guys just chill in my living room, I'll start cooking." They all piled into my dorm and into the living room where they all piled onto the couch and recliners I had brought in for reading. I got the bookshelf about half filled with books during my time at Beacon. Blake had already walked over to it with interest. I looked around at my friends before I saw someone missing.

"Hey, where's Jaune?" They all looked at each other, seeing if anybody else knew. "Really? Nobody has kept track of him?" Pyrrha responded.

"Yes, he wasn't in bed this morning when we woke up. We just assumed he had been working on that essay for History." I nodded and walked into the kitchen, letting my friends talk. I pulled out my scroll and rolled through my contacts before I found Jaune.

_Hey, where are you? I got everyone together for lunch._ I put it down on the counter and pulled out my apron. and got started throwing some small sandwiches together as an appetizer for my Teams. I was about finished when I got a text back from Jaune.

_Sorry, I can't make it. Busy_ I frowned at my scroll. Jaune was never too busy to hang out with the Teams.

_What are you up too?_ I turned back to the sandwiches and piled them up on a plate, bringing them out to my friends. The second I placed them on the coffee table, Ruby pounced on them and ran back to her seat with three. She quickly took a bite and beamed at me.

"Wow, Zach! These are really good!" I bowed jokingly at my friends.

"They are my masterpiece, enjoy." They laughed as I walked back into the kitchen to start making a homemade pizza. Luckily, I already had the Dough made, and had been waiting for a time to use it. I was about to get started when I saw my phone go off with Jaunes response.

_Nothing, just working on homework in the library._ I frowned again before I responded.

_Okay, if you find some free time, we're hanging out in my dorm. _He was obviously hiding something from me, but he did tell Pyrrha and I to back off, so I guess if he wants help he can come to me. I went back to the pizza and started covering it with cheese and ingredients before sticking it in the oven. I set the timer for 25 minutes and took off my apron, hanging it on one of the chairs at the table. I quickly washed my hands off in the sink and walked back into the living room. Weiss and Ruby were in an argument about combat strategy, Ren was looking at the chessboard I had opened up at a small table, Nora, Pyrrha, Yang, and Blake were talking. I walked into Yangs conversation.

"Hey, Lunch will be out in 25 minutes. What are you guys talking about?" Yang responded.

"They wanted to know where we were today." I started to frown before she continued. "Yeah, you should show them your new tattoo you got this morning." I looked at her before she leaned over and whispered in my ear. "They only know about the tattoo, nothing else." I smiled again and nodded at her, thanking her.

"Yeah, it's pretty cool." I stood up and took off my shirt, turning around to show the mark to the others. Ruby commented from her conversation.

"Since when have you had a Tattoo?" I looked over to her.

"Since this morning, if you and Weiss weren't arguing, you would know that." Pyrrha smiled.

"I like it!" Blake looked at it confused.

"What is it?" I responded.

"It's in another language. It means "Courage, Bravery, Integrity."" Ren nodded.

"Those are good traits in a leader." Weiss huffed at us.

"A Tattoo? Is that really a good idea?" I put my shirt back on and sat down.

"What do you mean? It's legal for me to get one, so who cares?"

"What about the prestigious academy that you currently take classes in?" I laughed.

"Ozpin won't care! It's not like he's going to know anyway. It'll only show if I'm wearing a tank top."

"Okay, whatever. You're the leader after all." We chatted for a while longer before I heard the oven go off. I quickly headed into the kitchen and pulled the pizza out of the oven. After, I let it cool of for a couple minutes, I pulled out a Lazy Susan(If you don't know what that is, then look it up) and and a couple of paper plates and brought them out to my friends and placed it on the coffee table. Ruby and Nora squealed in delight.

"You can make pizza?!" I smiled.

"Yeah, let me know if it's good." They all took a slice and started chowing down. They all smiled and laughed, thanking me for the pizza, saying it was really good. I looked around at my friends and smiled for a minute, thinking about how much my life has improved coming to Beacon. I felt Yang squeeze my hand. I looked at her and saw a concerned expression on her face.

"Hey, you okay, you just fazed out for a couple of minutes." Still smiling, I leaned in and gave her a light kiss. I pulled back and smiled again.

"Just thinking about how awesome Beacon has been so far." She smiled back at me before turning back at the group. We had fun for a couple hours after that just hanging out and having fun. Before we knew it, it was 9:00. We had been just chilling for about 9 hours! My friends left, saying goodbye as they headed back to their dorms, I turned to see Yang passed out on the couch. I smiled and picked her up gently, bringing her to the bed. I turned back to the living room, picking up my jacket as I turned to leave the dorm. I needed to check up on something. I started walking to the school, and eventually to the Library. I walked in and looked around seeing no one here. That was until I saw one of the computers at the side of the room turned on. I walked over to it and behind the monitor was Jaune passed out over a bunch over papers. I went to his side and started to shake him awake.

"Hey, buddy. Come on, let's get back to the dorm." He pulled up his head and I saw that he was working on the extra essay for Oobleck. Then I noticed there were two word documents pulled up, I looked at the extra before I saw who it said the author was.

_Cardin Winchester._ I turned to Jaune, but he was still groggy from waking up.

"Hey, Zach. Thanks for waking me up." He quickly noticed he still had the essays pulled up and just as fast exited out of everything. After he was back at the home screen, he sighed and turned off the computer. I helped him get all of his papers together. Once we we got everything situated, we started walking back to the dorms. There was silence between us before I soon shattered it.

"You know, you really hurt Pyrrha last night." Jaune looked down, sad at his actions.

"Yeah, I know."

"Look, Jaune." We both stopped as he looked at me. "Whatever you did to get into Beacon, I don't care. I can see great potential in you, so all you need to do is work hard and train hard, and you might be able to be the Hero you want to be. Just come me or your Team if you need any help." He sadly nodded before walking back to the dorms. I shortly followed. We walked back again without a word. He walked into his dorm and I walked into mine. I quietly hung my jacket off and took off my shirt, hopping into bed with Yang. When she noticed my presence in the bed, she rolled over and clung to me. I smiled and slid down, cuddling with her sleeping form before I fell asleep as well.

Sorry for the kinda short chapter guys. I've been really busy studying for the Exams next week, so things have been kinda hectic. I do have plans for the next chapters, though, so I might be able to get some longer ones out this weekend. As you can see, I used Geoff as the Tattoo Artist in Lower Vale. I've been thinking about using other Rooster Teeth Employees as various side characters that are mentioned probably only once or twice. So yeah, just thought it might be a funny way to include them.


	11. Chapter 11: Forever Fall

I was chilling with Team JNPR in their dorm. It has been a couple of days since I had found Jaune writing an Essay for Cardin. He has been working more and more each day and was hanging out with his friends less and less. Right now, Nora was jumping on her bed, Ren was checking over his guns, and Pyrrha was looking out the window. I was leaning against the doorframe. Nora spoke after a couple seconds of silence.

"How come Jaune gets home so late?" Ren responded.

"He's become rather scarce ever since hes been fraternizing with Cardin." Nora continued to jump.

"That's weird. Doesn't he know we have a field trip tomorrow? We need our rest" Nora did a little spin move and landed on the bed, on her back. Pyrrha gave a frustrated expression to the window.

"I'm sure our leader knows exactly what he's doing." I looked at her concerned.

"Pyrrha, be nice. He has been going through a rough time." Pyrrha looked at me.

"Then why be with the boy that's bullying him?" I looked down and sighed.

"I don't know." We stood around for a couple more minutes, exchanging small talk before I decided to leave. I walked out the door, closing it behind me to find Ruby and Jaune sitting against the wall. they looked up at me.

"Hey, guys." Ruby smiled at me, Jaune looked like he was thinking about something. Ruby started to get up. She turned to Jaune.

"Your Team deserves a great leader, Jaune. And I think that can be you. Good Night. She walked back into her dorm. I looked down at Jaune as she closed the door.

"She's right, you know." He sighed and stood up.

"Yeah, I know." His scroll suddenly went off, revealing Cardin's face. I took my leave when I saw that and walked into Team RWBY's dorm. Blake was fast asleep in her bunk, Weiss was studying at her desk, and Ruby looked like she was about to jump in bed. Yang was probably in my dorm by now, so she wasn't around. Ruby turned to see me. I spoke.

"Any ideas on what's gotten to Jaune?" she sighed.

"No, I don't get it." Weiss turned from her homework.

"He's been with Cardin, more and more, since last week." I looked at her surprised.

"What? The Ice Princess seems to care about someone else? Much less, Jaune?" Weiss Glared at me while Ruby giggled.

"Zachary Milos, don't you dare get any ideas in that puny brain of yours!" I laughed as Blake mumbled something in her sleep.

"Weiss and Jaune sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-."

"I don't like him that way!" She chuckled and went back to sleep as Ruby and I were laughing our asses off.

"Okay, okay. I better head back." I bowed to them. "Ruby, Blake, Weiss. I bid you Adieu." I then backed out of the room as Ruby giggled. Once out of the room, I closed the door and headed back to my dorm. I quickly opened it to find Yang sitting at the desk, brushing her giant mound of hair.

"Hey, Yang." She stopped and turned to me.

"Hey, Zach. I heard Weiss from in here, what'd you do?" I laughed and walked over to where she was sitting, kissing her when I got there.

"Nothing, just a little joke." I separated from her and headed to the bedroom. "I'm going to bed." She smiled and followed me in. We got ourselves situated and went to sleep.

* * *

"Yes, Students. The forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful, but we are not here to sightsee." Everyone was looking around at the beautiful trees as they lose their leaves one by one. Professor Goodwitch was somehow not fazed by the forest, though. "Professor Peach has asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep inside this forest, and I'm here to make sure none of you die while doing so." Jaune had been falling behind the group, carrying the bottles for everyone. He accidentally bumped into Cardin, which got him a death stare. He just started whistling innocently. "Each of you is to gather one jars worth of sap. However, this forest is full of the creatures of Grimm, so be sure to stay by your teammates. We'll rendezvous back her at 4 o' clock. Have fun!" The group separated into their Teams, Jaune was pulled back from his team by Cardin.

"Come on, buddy. Let's go." Pyrrha looked back to Jaune. He just looked at her sadly before he headed to follow Team CRDL. She sadly sighed. I was next to her, so I put a hand on her shoulder.

"He'll figure it out." She smiled at me bleakly before following Ren and Nora. I decided to work with Team JNPR, because they were a man down. I followed after Pyrrha and walked beside her. We ended up at the crest of a hill where Nora stopped to climb a tree. Ren sighed and started getting the gear for the both of them out for collecting the sap. I laughed as Nora started Imitating a sloth. Pyrrha and I started working on collecting the sap as well. It didn't take very long, so after a couple minutes, Pyrrha and I were done. Ren was filling the jars for both himself and Nora, but after he filled a jar and started on the next one, Nora would consume the filled jar. Eventually we got her to stop, so Pyrrha was finally able to fill the last jar. Just as she finished I heard glass break. I frowned and turned to the top of the hill. Pyrrha noticed me looking up there and walked over to me.

"Zach, is something wrong?" I turned to her for a second before I saw a Bright light come from the top of the hill.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I turned back to the others just as Sky Lark and Dove came running out of the bushes, yelling.

"URSA, URSA!" Yang stopped Dove.

"What?! Where?!" He was freaking out as he pointed behind him.

"Back there! It's got Cardin!" Pyrrha dropped the jar she was holding.

"Jaune!" Ruby turned to her team.

"Yang! You and Blake go get professor Goodwitch!" I turned to Ren.

"Ren, Nora. Go with them!" I unleashed my weapons.

"Weiss,come with us." We started running up the hill. When we got to the top, Cardin was crawling away from the biggest Ursa I have ever seen. Pyrrha gasped.

"Oh, no!" The Ursa stepped in to make the final blow on Cardin, but at the last minute, Jaune raised his shield to stop the claw. He was fighting against the giant Grimm's strength. Weiss got into combat formation, but I put my hand in front of her.

"Wait, just watch." We watched as Jaune fought the large Ursa, dodging his attacks, and making slashes of his own. He would get hit back a couple of times, but everytime he was hit, he would jump back up and start fighting again. I slowly brought out my scroll. Jaune's Aura showed he was in the red now. He ran forward for an attack anyways. I saw he would get killed and turned to Pyrrha.

"Pyrrha, Now!" She nodded and raised her hand to Jaune, glowing black. His shield was then pushed up to block the Ursa's attack, and his sword cut straight through it's neck, effectively decapitating it. Ruby looked at Pyrrha, confused.

"Uh, what?" Weiss turned to her as well.

"How did you-?" I smiled as Pyrrha explained.

"Well, Ruby has her speed, you have your glyphs, my Semblance is Polarity." Ruby gasped in awe.

"You can control Poles." Weiss looked at her, annoyed.

"No, it means she has control over Magnetism!" She was just as shocked as last time.

"Magnets are cool, too." Pyrrha started walking away. Weiss and Ruby looked back at her.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Yeah, we gotta tell them what happened." I was still looking at Jaune as he sheathed his sword.

"Or we could just keep this our little secret." I turned and put up a hand to their complaints. "Just trust me, okay?" It took a couple seconds but they nodded. I turned back to Jaune to see him holdout a hand to Cardin. He hesitated before accepting the help.

"Holy crap, Jaune-"

"Don't ever mess with my Team, my friends ever again!" Cardin looked at him guiltily. Jaune didn't let up though. "Got it?" The others had walked off, but I stayed as Jaune turned to see me, watching him. He walked over to me, unfazed by my lack of help.

"That was very impressive, Jaune." He looked at me with curious eyes.

"Why did you just watch?" I smiled.

"Because I know what you are capable of." With that, I walked back to the others, Jaune following close behind.

* * *

"No Cardin tonight?" Pyrrha and I walked on either side of Jaune as he looked out to Beacon from the very roof we first offered to help him. I looked at him from the corner of my eye.

"I thought you two were the best of friends?" He turned to Pyrrha.

"Pyrrha, I'm sorry. I was a jerk. You were only trying to be nice, and I had all this stupid macho stuff in my head-" Pyrrha cut him off.

"Jaune, it's okay." I turned to Jaune.

"Your team really misses their leader, you know." Pyrrha started walking to the door, speaking over her shoulder.

"You should come down. Ren made Pancakes! No Syrup, though, you can thank Nora for that." Jaune raised his hand to Pyrrha to stop her by the door.

"Wait! I know I don't deserve it after all that happened, but will you guys still be willing to help me? To help me become a better fighter!" Pyrrha looked at me and smiled. I walked over to Jaune and pushed him over.

"Hey!" I gave him some pointers.

"Your stance is way off, you need to be wider and lower to ground. Also, you should always be cautious of a side attack." Pyrrha walked over and put out a hand to help him up. He gladly accepted. They looked at each other for a moment before Pyrrha broke the silence.

"Let's try that again."

**Sorry about the short chapter again. I've already started the next chapter and it'll be coming out later today. I would have made the two chapters combined, but they have nothing in common, so I'm gonna separate them. The next chapter will most likely be online at about 4-5 o' clock, eastern time.**


	12. Chapter 12: The Stray

People were walking in the streets of Vale. Booths were being created and signs were being put up everywhere about the Vytal Festival. Everyone in Beacon was excited about the students from the other Kingdoms coming to Vale for the Tournament. I was with Team RWBY as we walked around Vale to see the creation of the festival. We found ourselves in front of a huge Banner at the Port that said "Welcome to Vale!"

"The Vytal Festival, oh this is absolutely wonderful!" Ruby looked at her sarcastically.

"I don't think I've ever seen you smile this much, Weiss. It's kinda weirding me out." Weiss turned to Ruby.

"How could you not smile?! A festival dedicated to the cultures of the world! There will be Dances, Parades!" I smiled devilishly.

"A Tournament." She kept ranting about it.

"Oh, the amount of planning and organization that goes into this is simply breathtaking!" Yang crossed her arms.

"Wow, you really know how to take a good thing and make it sound boring." I laughed, but Weiss just narrowed her eyes at Yang.

"Quiet you!" We finally came to our destination, the Docks. Yang looked at them, disgusted.

"Remind me again why we are visiting the stupid docks?" Ruby's face scrunched up as she covered her nose.

"Ugh, they smell like fish." Weiss spoke up.

"I heard that students visiting from Vacuo will be arriving by boat by ship today." I stood next to her and turned to the others.

"As representatives of Beacon, we feel like we should welcome them to this fine kingdom!" We started walking to the large ship that was parking at one of the docks. Blake looked at the others.

"They want to spy on the new students so that they have the advantage in the tournament." Weiss and I spoke at the same time.

"You can't prove that!"

"Woah!" Ruby was looking down one of the streets. I walked next to her and saw what she was talking about. A dust shop was completely covered in CAUTION Police tape. A couple of officers were walking around the place. I started walking over to the shop, my Team close behind. We stopped at the tape. I looked to the closest police officer.

"What happened here?" He turned to me.

"Robbery, second dust shop to be hit this week."

"Hey, Burnie, get over here!" He walked over to his Colleague.

"What, Joel?"

"They left all the money again!" Ruby and I looked at each other, thinking of the same thing, then back at the officers.

"Yeaaah, it just doesn't make a lick of sense. Who needs that much dust?"

"I don't know, and I'm me."

"You thinking the White Fang?"

"Yeah, I'm thinking we don't get paid enough." Weiss crossed her arms.

"Hmm, the White Fang. What an awful bunch of degenerates!"I was about to raise my hand to stop Blake, but I was too late.

"What's your problem?" Weiss turned on Blake.

"My problem? I just don't care for the criminally insane!"

"The White Fang are hardly a bunch of Psychopaths! They're a collection of misguided Faunus."

"Misguided? They want to wipe Humanity off the face of the planet!"

"Then their very misguided!" Before this could get any worse, I butted in.

"Either way, it doesn't explain why they would rob a dust shop in the middle of Downtown Vale." Ruby spoke up softly.

"Zachs got a point. Besides, the police never found that Torchwick guy Zach and I ran into a few months ago, maybe it was him." Weiss raised her head.

"That doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of Scum. Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal!" I was starting to get annoyed at Weiss. If she kept this up, who knows what Blake might do. Yang spoke up behind me.

"That's not necessarily true."

"Hey! Stop that Faunus!" We ran to the docks to see a sandy haired boy with a monkey tail get on the side of the ship.

"Thanks for the ride, guys!" He then jumped down onto the docks and hung on a lamppost by his tail. Somehow, he found a banana and he already peeled it. The guys from the ship yelled out to him.

"You no good, Stowaway!" He yelled back.

"Hey, a no good Stowaway would've been caught! I'm a great Stowaway!" I laughed at his joke. The others looked at me like I was crazy, but I just shrugged.

"He's funny." A rock then went flying past his head as the cops we saw earlier walked up to him.

"Hey! Get down from there this instant!" The guy threw his banana peel at the guys face. The cop growled as the Faunus laughed and jumped over the cops, running towards my group. I backed away from the railing and ran at him, ready to catch him, but just as I grabbed at his shirt, he slidded under my grip. I turned just to see him wink at Blake and keep running. I walked back to the others as Yang smiled.

"Well, guys you wanted to see the competition, and there it goes." Weiss raised a finger.

"Quick! We have to observe him!" We started running after the sandy haired faunus, Weiss up front, until we rounded a corner. I turned the corner to see Weiss had fallen on top of another girl. She looked up to see the Faunus jump onto a roof.

"No! He got away!" I started to chuckle and laugh at Weiss.

"Well, Weiss. You seem to be getting pretty friendly with that girl." She looked at me like I was crazy until she noticed the girl under her smiling, getting up very quickly and brushing herself off. The girl on the ground raised a hand.

"Salutations!" Ruby hesitantly spoke.

"Um, hello." Yang looked at her confused.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm wonderful! Thank you for asking!" She was still lying on the ground. We all looked at each other confused before I asked her another question.

"Do you wanna get up?" She thought for a second before responding.

"Yes!" She jumped up from where she was laying. Team RWBY all took a step back, but I just stayed where I was. "My name is Penny! It's a pleasure to meet you!" I stepped forward and put out a hand, which she gladly shook. He hand was really bony. "Hi, I'm Zach. These are my friends, Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and my girlfriend, Yang." They all said hi except Yang who looked at her curiously.

"Are you sure you didn't hit your head?" Blake hit her and she straightened up and said hi.

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Weiss spoke.

"You already said that!"

"So I did!" We started to walk off.

"Sorry for running into you!" Ruby raised her hand.

"Take care, friend!" We turned the corner, all of us questioning in our minds what had just happened before Yang spoke up.

"She was….. Weird." Weiss responded

"Now, where did that Faunus riff-raff run off to!" Penny then appeared in front of us.

"What did you call me?" Weiss looked back and forth between where we were and where she was standing, obviously confused. Yang quickly apologized.

"Oh, I'm really sorry! I didn't think you heard me!" She then turned past Yang.

"No, not you." She walked over to Ruby. "You!"

"Me? I- I don't what I- uhhh."

"You called me friend. Am I really your friend?" She looked back at us. Her team was all making signals to say no. I just put my hand on the new girls shoulder, making Ruby

"Yeah, Ruby and I, we're your friends." I glared at the others, who looked down in shame. Ruby just nodded her head, happy to have made a new friend. Penny jumped happily as well.

"Sensational! We can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys!" I raised my eyebrows, and backed up.

"Yeaaah, I'm not gay, so you're on your own, Ruby." Luckily, Penny didn't notice me back out. Ruby leaned over to Weiss.

"Was this what it was like when you met me?"

"No, she seems far more coordinated." Yang tried to change the subject.

"Soooo, what are you doing in Vale?"

"I'm here to fight in the tournament!"

"Wait, you're fighting in the tournament?" She made a salute.

"I'm Combat Ready!"

"Forgive me, but you hardly look the part." Blake turned to Weiss.

"Says the girl wearing a dress?" Weiss crossed her arms.

"It's a Combat Skirt!" Ruby appeared next to her.

"Yeah!" They high fived before I realized something.

"Wait, if you're here for the Tournament, does that mean you know that boy from the ship?"

"The who?" Weiss raised a badly drawn picture of the Faunus behind me.

"The Filthy Faunus from the Boat!" I glared at her, about to say something, but Blake beat me to the punch.

"Why do you keep saying that?"

"Huh?"

"Stop calling him a Rapscallion. Stop calling him a Degenerate. He's a person!" Weiss looked at her sarcastically.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Would you like for me to stop referring to the Trashcan as the Trashcan, or this Lamppost as a lamppost?"

"Stop it!"

"Stop what? He clearly broke the law! Give him time, he'll probably join up with those other Faunus in the White Fang!"

"WEISS STOP IT RIGHT NOW, THAT IS FAR ENOUGH!" Everyone except Blake, who was glaring at Weiss.

"You ignorant little brat!" Blake walked off, leaving the rest of us there.

"How dare you talk to me like that? I am your Teammate!" She walked over to Blake, who had stopped.

"You are a judgemental little girl." I walked in between them.

"Do I need to say it again?! I said stop, both of you!" My trying to stop them went to little effect and after a while, Yang pulled me out from between them.

"Hey, Zach. You gotta let them figure this out on their own, they're obviously not listening to you." I looked at her and subsided my anger as they continued to fight.

* * *

Eventually we ended up back at RWBY's Dorm. Blake and Weiss were still arguing, Yang, Ruby, and I were still just watching. I couldn't stand just sitting here, but everytime I start to move to try and help, Yang stops me.

"I don't understand why this is causing such a problem!"

"That is the problem!"

"You realize you are defending an organization that hates Humanity, don't you? The Faunus of the White Fang are Pure Evil!"

"There's no such thing as pure evil! Why do you think they hate Humanity do much?! It's because of people like Cardin, people like you that force the White Fang to take such drastic measures!"

"People like me?"

"You're Discriminatory!"

"I'm a victim! You want to know why I despise the White Fang? Why I don't particularly trust the Faunus? It's because they've been at war with my family for years. War, as in actual bloodshed. My grandfathers company has had a target painted across its back for as long as I can remember and ever since I was a child, I've watched family friends disappear, Board Members executed, an entire train car, full of dust, stolen. And every day, my father would come home Furious and that made for a very, difficult childhood." There was a few seconds of silence before Ruby I stepped forward and tried to put my hand on her shoulder.

"Weiss, I-" She suddenly stepped back, shrugging me off and turning to Blake.

"NO, You want to know why I despise the White Fang. It's because they're a bunch of liars, thieves, and Murderers!

"Well, Maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!" Weiss took a couple steps back, the others all surprised, except for myself who already knew. I took a step forward to defend Blake.

"It's not what you guys think, really. She can explain." I then heard a whoosh behind me as I just saw Blake run out the door. Ruby ran after her.

"Wait! Wait! Come Back!"We all stood there for a couple seconds in silence, processing what just happened. Weiss broke the silence as she turned on me.

"Zach, why were you defending her? What do you know?" I turned to them slowly and sighed.

"Well, Blake can tell you about what she did, it's not my place to tell, as for me. I, for about a year, was a part of the White Fang."


	13. Chapter 13: The Past is Unchangable

"You're a Faunus?" I stared at Ruby blankly.

"No, I'm human." There was silence for a few moments before spoke again. "I guess there's no turning back now. I'll tell you guys about my past, but first, let's start with my family." I took the chair from Weiss' desk and sat down in front of the others, they all sat down on their beds.

* * *

"Your family is the Milos Syndicate?" Weiss and Ruby were taking all this extraordinarily well so far. I had explained about my family and where Yang and I were when we visited Sayo's grave.

"Yes, but I'm not part of their organization any more." Weiss stared at me, obviously surprised that she hadn't been able to put me together with the Milos Syndicate. Ruby had been silent the entire time, not like her at all. Weiss looked at me confused.

"What does this have to do with the White Fang?" I sighed and looked at her for a moment before I responded.

"After leaving the Milos Syndicate, I traveled around Vale. I lived out on the streets for a long time, stealing food and taking from people who had what I needed. I eventually got to know some unsavory people and started working to get money. People would pay me for different kinds of jobs. I took what I could get and accepted pretty much every chance to get a little cash. I turned into the youngest mercenary ever, a kid known around The Slums of Vale as "The Drifter."" Ruby spoke.

"You were a mercenary?"

"Yes, I looked at life as a survival of the fittest. If you were strong enough, work at fight for money so that you can live, if you were able to take from others, then they were too weak to survive." Weiss spoke.

"Thats rather….. Dark."

"Well, I was still a bit shattered from the Syndicate. For my entire life, I was used to fighting to survive, that's what I thought the world was like. I took jobs and paid for food, eventually I learned that I was gaining enemies as a mercenary. I needed somewhere to go for protection, so I went to the most secure organization I knew of." Yang had been silent up until this point.

"The White Fang." I looked at her.

"Yes." Ruby spoke next.

"Why would they let you in the White Fang?"

"I didn't really give them a choice. I waited outside one of their popular safehouses in Lower Vale for months before I saw higher ups arrive at the outpost. I fought my way through tons of White fang soldiers until I met the Two leaders. Dracos Halcion and Adam Taurus. I gave them the Ultimatum of letting me join their Ranks and fight for their cause, or I rat out the whole organization to the Military. they accepted me as the only Human ever to fight in the White Fang. I became well known in their ranks as "The Exception"." I stopped for moment. There was silence for a couple of seconds before Weiss questioned me.

"How many people did you kill?" I looked at her.

"In the White Fang? Only one." There was silence once again before I continued with my story.

"I fought in their ranks, but I told them before I joined that I wouldn't kill anybody, but let me tell you, firsthand. There are worse things than death. I did unimaginable things to men in those days, hurt people to the extent where they beg for death. I look back on those days and fear that I might turn into that, that thing again." Weiss spoke again.

"Why did you leave the White Fang? It sounded like you had a pretty good set up there?"

"I left because I had no choice. If I had stayed, I would have been executed." Yang looked at my, worried.

"Why?"

"Because I killed the only man I trusted in that entire place! I killed the man that had taken me into his house, fed me, gave me shelter. Everything!" I started to tear up. "I killed Dracos." I stopped speaking and was trying to control myself, head in my hands. After a couple of seconds, I finally controlled myself and continued.

"Dracos was a General of the White Fang. When I had asked for shelter and protection in exchange for my help, he volunteered to bring me into his house. I lived with Dracos, his wife, and his 6-year-old Son, Lukos. I met his family and saw a whole different side of the White Fang. Dracos was just a father trying to make some Lien to support his son. I lived with them like I was a part of their family now. I helped where I could, if it was helping Ms. Halcion with Dinner, or Lukos with his Homework. I loved every last second of it. I could play the part of a regular kid the Halcions, and I could fight with the White Fang. I should have known it wouldn't last though. It all ended at a White Fang rally. It was just like any other, I would stand by Dracos and Adam as they tried recruiting Faunus to their cause. I would just stand by, to reassure the Leaders safety, but the night took a dark turn. Dracos had brought in a couple of people that were tied up, handcuffed and gagged. I didn't understand what he was doing until he brought out a large pistol and executed the first person." I heard a gasp from the girls, but I just kept going. "One by one he killed each human, whether they be man or woman, even a couple of kids. I tried to look away and not pay attention, I couldn't just watch him kill all those people. The crowd was cheering for their blood though, screaming for more. In no time there was only one prisoner left. A young girl that had watched all the people before her killed. I tried to not watch it all, but Dracos had walked over to me. He shoved the pistol into my hands and pushed me to the girl. He said I had to kill the girl. All the people in the crowd were cheering me on like I was some kind of star. I couldn't give them nothing, so I gave them a kill. I turned and shot Dracos in the head. The room became silent after that shot. I didn't wait, though. I dropped the gun and ran. I ran out of the building and kept running for a long time. To this day, I don't know what happened to Dracos' Wife and son, I don't even know what happened to the doomed girl." I stopped and looked at them. Yang and Ruby had concerned looks, Weiss looked like she was thinking about something. There was silence once again before Weiss stood up from her bed.

"How long has it been?"

"4 Years."

"And you haven't ever wanted to go back?"

"Never." She kept staring at me before she silently left the room. Ruby got up from her seat and ran to the door.

"Weiss! Where are you going? Weiss!" She kept following Weiss out of the room. Yang was left with me in their dorm. She was still looking at me concerned from her seat. I was staring back at her with a tired look. I couldn't think of any words to say. She suddenly stood up and walked over to me. She stood over me and kissed me on the forehead before heading to the door.

"I'm going to bed. Feel free to join me when you're ready." I sat there, a little shocked. I took me a minute or so before I smiled and walked out of the RWBY dorm.

**Hey, guys. A bunch of backstory in this chapter. I ended up typing this up after I was finished with my exam, so it might look a little hastily written. There are a few other things I would like to address. For now, I am looking for a couple new OCs. Whether they are good guys or not, I don't care, but I'm looking for a couple new ones. If you've got any ideas, PM me and they might make it into the story a couple chapters from now. Secondly, I feel like the title of the story is a bit out of place now, if anyone can think of a better one, I would be happy to change it, just PM me if you have any ideas! Thirdly, I would like to thank all of the people that have been reading my Story! We have broken 1,500 views!**


	14. Chapter 14: Black and White

_Where is she?_ It's been a couple of days since Blake has disappeared. The rest of Team RWBY and I have been searching for her for a couple of hours, and to save time and cover more ground, we split up. Yang and Weiss were together, Ruby was with Penny, who had kinda joined in earlier, and I was on my own. Ever since Blake has left and I told the others about my time in the White Fang, tensions have been pretty high. Ruby is always giving me weird, confused looks, but whenever I ask her about it, she blows me off. Yang so far has been pretty okay with it. She doesn't seem to care about what's happened to me in the past, just that I'm okay now. Weiss is just flat out avoiding me. Whenever I've seen her, she gives some lame reason for why she's busy and leaves. I sighed and looked around, realizing that I've not been watching where I'm going. I looked around to see the Docks nearby, not far from where we saw that Faunus Stowaway run off. I looked around until some Sailors walked by me.

"Hey, how much Dust do you think they had on that ship?"

"I dunno, maybe a couple hundred tons. Why do you care?"

"Just wondering, jeez." I looked at the two men. _She wouldn't….._

"Hey! You two!" The two men looked back at me.

"Yeah, what'cha need, kid?"

"That Dust Shipment, any chance it was Schnee Dust?" The two men looked at each other and back at me.

"Uhhh, yeah."

"Mind telling me where all that dust is?" The two men looked at me suspiciously.

"Big warehouse on the south side of Vale. Why do you want to know?" I shrugged.

"No reason. I'm a Hunter-in-Training, it's good to know what's going on in the city." They seemed satisfied with that and walked off. I turned and started walking to the warehouse.

* * *

_Okay, yeah. That's a lot of Dust._ I had just made it to the warehouse. There were Freight Cars piled up outside, all with the Schnee Dust Company Snowflake on the side of them. I started walking around outside. Luckily there wasn't anybody around, so I could roam freely throughout the Docks. It took awhile, but after climbing ontop of one of the crates, I could just see two people sitting atop one of the warehouses nearby. One in all black, the other in white. _Dammit, Blake. _I quickly ran over to where they were and found a ladder on the side of the building. When I got to the top, I saw that the other person was the Faunus from the Ship. They hadn't noticed me yet, so I walked up behind them.

"So this is where you ran off to?" The two of them spun around, Blake pulling Gambol Shroud out of its sheath until she saw it was me.

"Zach." The sandy haired boy looked at Blake.

"You know him?"

"Yes." I spoke to her.

"What are you doing here, Blake?"

"I need to know if the White Fang is behind these robberies." There was silence between us before I walked over to them and sat down next to the ledge.

"Well, then let's do this." I looked up at them to see Blake watching me blankly, while the other boy looked at her, questioning for instruction. Blake then spoke.

"You…. Aren't going to drag me back to Beacon?" I looked at her confused.

"Why would I do that? It's not like you would have let me." There was silence as Blake nodded and sat down again next to me. The other boy just shrugged and sat down as well. I looked at the new guy.

"So, you are?" He smiled and put up a hand.

"I'm Sun." I smiled.

"Zach Milos." He nodded and the three of us fell into silence again.

* * *

Sun jumped back down onto the Warehouse with a bunch of fruit in his hands.

"Did I miss anything?" Blake responded.

"No, they offloaded the rest of the crates from the boat, now they're just sitting there."

"Cool, I stole you guys some food." He raised an apple in his hand. I smiled and took it, taking a bite. Blake just glared at him.

"Do you always break the law without a second thought?"

"Hey, weren't you in a cult or something?" Blake and I glared at him. "Okay, too soon." Suddenly, there was a huge gust of wind as a Bullhead started landing in the middle of the Docks. Once it landed, people dressed in uniform started pouring out of the large plane. I could hear Blake next to me.

"Oh, no." Sun squinted his eyes to get a better look.

"Is that them?" I saw the large Emblem on the backs of the soldiers and looked down in shame.

"Yeah, that's them." Blake looked like she was about to throw up. I looked at her nervously.

"You really didn't think they were behind it, did you?" She responded.

"No, I think deep down, I knew. I just didn't want to be right."

"Hey! What's the Hold Up?!" I looked down surprised to see the guy Ruby and I fought when we met walk out of the Bullhead. "We're not exactly the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment, why don't you animals try to pick up the pace?!" Blake and I looked at each other to make sure we just saw the same thing, Blake spoke.

"This is isn't right. The White Fang would never work with a Human. Especially not one like that." Then we heard another voice from the Bullhead.

"Hey, Torchwick. Show some respect! We don't need your insufferable comments right now!" My eyes widened as I recognized the young voice.

"No, it can't be. He can't be here, there's no way." The others looked at me confused as a young boy walked out of the Bullhead. He wore a long Green Cloak that went down to his ankles. He had long,straight brown hair that hung down in his eyes a little. Even from this distance, I could see the small, scaled horns that sprouted from his head. There was no mistaking it, that was Lukos Halcion, Son of Dracos. I got up and jumped down from our hiding place, despite Blake and Sun's complaints, and started walking towards the boy I had considered a brother.

"Lukos?" He turned to me and took a step back, obviously surprised to see me here.

"Z-Zach?" He then went rigid as he made a quick motion. A dagger then went flying past my head, barely scraping my cheek and slamming into a crate behind me. I suddenly stopped and put a hand to my cheek, surprised. He was glaring at me with ferocity. Then I saw Blake run forward from behind a crate nearby and put a sword under Torchwicks chin. Lukos hadn't noticed, though and was completely still in his stance after throwing the knife. Blake started talking to the other soldiers, but all my focus was on Lukos.

"Luke, what are you doing with the White Fang?"

"Don't call me Luke! My name is Lukos!" He was looking at me like I was the devil.

"Luke, come on. We were practically brothers! Why are you doing this?" His fists started to tremble as he stared at me menacingly.

"We were brothers until you killed my father!" He then went motion again as another Knife came flying at me. This time I was smart and moved out of the way of the dagger as it came to a stop next to the other knife in the crate. That was when I remembered the weapons his father used to use and jumped up, backflipping over the knifes as they flung back to their owner. I landed back on the ground as Lukos caught the two knifes he had attached to a string. I saw the two contraptions covering the boys forearms and remembered them as Dracos' own invention. Two knifes attached to a thread of string that spun much like a fishing pole on his forearms, so that the user can fling his blades around however they please. I looked to Lukos as he got into combat formation. I was about to speak when I saw a couple more Bull heads hover over the warehouses, and and explosion that blew Blake back. Lukos covered his face with his arms and looked back at the two of them as well. I took that time to unsheath Blood and Glory, as Blake dodged Torchwick's explosive flares. Lukos had then turned back around and threw one of his knives at me. I barely rolled out of the way as he pulled the dagger back at me, causing it to fling through the air and arc back at me. I turned as I stood up and blocked it away, sending it back at Lukos. I yelled at him as he caught the weapon.

"We don't have to fight!" He growled at me.

"I must avenge my Father!" He ran forward and attacked me. He swung at lighting fast speed, the two blades flashing with the moonlight as I dodged and blocked his attacks. Suddenly, he made a wild swing and I caught his arm, pulling it behind his back, the knife falling from his hands. I quickly wrestled the other knife from his left hand as I stepped on the right knife, stopping it from returning to his hand.

"Lukos, stop!" He growled as he tried to escape my grasp and I only saw one choice. I gulped and punched him in the back of the neck, knocking him out. He went limp in my hands, as I gently laid him back on the ground. "I'm sorry, Luke." I looked back at the others to see Blake and Sun dodge out of the way of a falling crate. All the foot soldiers were defeated, leaving only Torchwick. he was now aiming his cane at Sun as he was sitting on the ground looing up at the man. Then I heard something from the other side of the Warehouses.

"Hey!" I sighed. Ruby was stood atop one of the Warehouse with her Scythe at the ready. I could just see Penny behind her. Torchwick averted hi attention to her.

"Oh, hello, Red! Isn't it past your bedtime?" Penny stepped forward as Ruby looked back. Torchwick raised his gun to Ruby. I ran forward to stop him, but I was too far. He shot and knocked Ruby back. I saw red. I ran forward as Torchwick turned back at me, just to take a punch to the jaw, sending him back into the depths of one of the warehouses. More soldiers poured out of the Bullheads, but before I could turn around, Penny was on them. There were ten swords floating around her as she controlled them to attack the countless White Fang Soldiers. She took out all the ground soldiers as I watched in awe, until a couple of Bullheads rolled in and started taking fire on the two of use. I raised my gauntlets to protect me from the bullets as Penny spinned the swords to deflect them as well. I barely blocked them, and right as they stopped, I took refuge behind a couple of crates. I looked back to Penny to see her fly back to two swords that were sticking out of one of the warehouses. Then she kneeled down and the swords around her started to spin in front of her, creating a large green ball of energy. She then pushed her fists forward and a huge green beam flew out of her swords and cut clean through the bullheads. Thew flew over Penny's head and exploded in the ocean behind the warehouses. One of the Bullheads started to pull up with one of the crates, but Penny sent her words flying out to connect to the large plane. She then pulled back on the plane and brought it tumbling into the ground. Almost all of the forces were destroyed, but there was still two cargo Bull heads left. I just saw Torchwick stumble into one of them, with Lukos hung over his shoulder. Their Bullhead quickly took off, the other in hot pursuit.

* * *

Ruby, Penny, Blake, Sun, and I were all sitting on crates at the warehouses. It had been about an hour since the huge fight, and we were told to stay here until we could get questioned further later. Weiss and Yang then walked over to us from one of the Police Cars. Ruby and I stood up. I walked over to them as Yang rushed to bring me into a hug. That lasted a couple of seconds before we separated and turned to Weiss, who was staring at Blake. Blake spoke first.

"Weiss, I want you to know that I'm no longer associated with the White Fang. Back when I was with-"

"Stop." Weiss had cut Blake off. "Do you have any idea of how long we've been searching for you? Twelve hours! That means that I've had twelve hours to think about this and in that twelve hours, I've decided I Don't Care!" Blake looked surprised.

"You don't care?"

"You said you're not one of the anymore, right?"

"No, I-I haven't been since I was younger-"

"Upbupbupbupbup! I don't want to hear it. All I want to know is that the next time something this big happens, you'll come to your Teammates. And not some… Someone else." Blake looked back at Sun and then to Weiss. She wiped away a tear and nodded.

"Of course." Everyone looked at each other for a second before Ruby cheered.

"Yeah! Team RWBY is back together!" We all grouped up, my arm around Yang. Weiss pointed at Sun when he got close to her though.

"I'm still not quite sure how I feel about you!" He laughed nervously before I stepped forward and put a hand on her arm.

"Let it go, Weiss. Believe it or not, he's actually a pretty nice guy." She looked at me for a second before nodding and looking down.

"Yeah…." I frowned but backed up to where I was before. Then Ruby spoke up.

"Hey, wait a minute. Where's Penny?"

**Hey, guys Guffey Manipulation here! Just wanted to say that I've been waiting to bring this chapter out for a while now. I couldn't wait to release Lukos to the Public! Now after writing the Chapter, I realized the Penny and Lukos's weapons work essentially the same way, but they are different. Lukos can swing his knives around like a whip, where Penny has full control over her swords. I really didn't mean to make them similar, just a mistake. I would also like to say that I am still accepting new OC ideas for the future. Nobody responded to the last call, so I don't really have any new ideas for new characters. Lukos was a character I've been waiting to release, but I don't really have anyone else at the ready. Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter! Guffey Manipulation Out.**


	15. Chapter 15: The Consequences

**Hey, guys GuffeyManipulation here! I would like to Preface this chapter with a couple of things. Starting off, people have been having fits about the Summary of The Extra at Beacon, so I'm starting to think I should change it. I am looking to you, the readers, to think of a new Summary for this series! Also, I have been thinking about changing the Title to the series as well. I don't remember if I have mentioned this in the past, but I'm saying it now. If anyone can think of a better title for the series or can think of a summary could use, PM me, let me know. I usually have this website in a window on my laptop pretty much all the time, so I'll probably have a quick response, unless I'm at school. Next thing, I'm still looking for other OC characters I could use. If anyone has any ideas, once again, PM me and we can talk about adding him/her to the series. I think that's about it for right now, so PM me, Review, whatever. Enjoy!**

We finally made it back to Beacon. Team Ruby and I got some rides from the Policemen back to the school. Sun ran off to Oum knows where, but I get the feeling we'll be seeing him again. The 5 of us looked up at the school before Goodwitch walked out to greet us. She looked utterly pissed.

"Professor Ozpin would like to see Mr. Milos, Ms. Rose, and Ms. Belladonna. That is all." I blinked for a second before she just walked off. She looked like she wanted to rip out our hearts, and just came to deliver a quick message instead. I looked over at the girls.

"Okay, let's go. Weiss, Yang, go ahead back to the Dorms, we'll meet you there." They nodded and walked to the Dorms. Blake, Ruby and I headed for Ozpin's office.

* * *

I knocked on his door a couple of times. After a couple seconds of silence we finally heard something.

"Come in!" Ruby opened the door and we walked in to see Ozpin sitting at his desk, three chairs in front of him. The three of us walked over at sat down quietly. "Now, would any of you like to tell me what happened at the Docks tonight?" I stared Ozpin in the eyes as Ruby and Blake both looked at me for confirmation. After a couple of seconds, I sighed.

"Blake, Ruby, and myself were caught in the middle of a White Fang Raid. They were looking to steal a bunch of Freight Cars full of Dust." I looked at my two teammates with proud eyes. "They fought the criminals valiantly and stopped them from taking more than one Car." I turned back to Ozpin as Ruby grinned wildly.

"Is that so? Can you tell me anything else about what happened?" I looked at him for a second, trying to read his face, but found nothing.

"Yes, they were being led by the man that Ruby and I ran into a while back, Torchwick. He escaped with some of the other soldiers." Ozpin stared at me for a moment.

"Alright, is there anything else?"

"No, nothing I can think of." There was silence as the two of us stared at each other. After about 30 seconds, he turned his chair to look out the huge window.

"Well, thank you for your work to stop the criminals. Ruby, Zachary, you may go. Blake, I would like to speak with you alone." I looked at Blake, to see if she was okay. She nodded as Ruby and I stood up and left the room. We were silent until we got to the elevator. Ruby looked at me, confused.

"Why didn't you tell him about the Lukos?" I stiffened before relaxing again, looking at her.

"He didn't need to know. What happens with Lukos is between me and him." I looked Ruby in the eyes. "I need to know that you won't tell anybody about him." She nodded and looked forward again.

"Sure, whatever you need." There was silence again as the door dinged open. We walked back to the Dorms. As we made it to both of our dorms I gave a quick goodbye to Ruby before closing the door behind me. I quickly wiped the fake smile off my face as I shuffled into the room, moving straight into the kitchen and plopping down in one of the chairs.

"Zach? What are you doing?" I turned to see Yang standing in the door way between the kitchen and the living room, in her pajamas. The second she saw my face she frowned and walked over to me. "What's wrong? What's going on?" I looked at her for a second, trying to comprehend her words as I looked down at the table again.

"I need you to help me with something." She nodded quickly.

"What do you need?" I looked at her again with sunken eyes.

"The cupboard third to the right of the stove, get what's behind the pots." She nodded again slowly before moving over to the cupboards, looking for the item. She moved a couple pots around before she froze. She slowly pulled something out. She walked over to me and placed it on the table in front of me. A large bottle of Vodka. I moved forward and picked up the bottle, loking at it, as if I was examining the label. I noticed Yang had sat down next to me at the table. I looked at it for a couple more seconds before I pulled the top of with practised expertise and took a huge gulp of the alcohol, straight from the bottle. I quickly put the vodka down on the table as my throat burned. I felt a hand on mine as I looked up and into Yang's eyes.

"Why are you doing this Zach?" I stared at her for a couple more seconds before I took another swig from the bottle and answered.

"This is my way of escaping the past. Always has been." She looked at me confused.

"What do you mean? What happened that you're not telling me?" I took another swig of the vodka before Yang ripped the bottle out of my hands. I didn't even bother to fight her about it. I just plopped my hands back into my lap. I started to speak again.

"Today I saw one of the very few people on this planet that has ever felt like family to me. I also saw him nearly stab me in the head." Yang was taken back a little bit as she lowered the bottle she had in her hand back to the table. I started to reach for it, but right as my hand got to hers, she brought the bottle up and drank a couple of gulps and brought it back down on the table, back next to my hand. I took it and drank again. We continued like that for a while, passing the bottle back and forth as we emptied it. We drank in melancholy silence. Finally, I passed her the bottle, but she took it this time and pushed it to the other side of the table. I looked at her confused as she glared at me.

"Okay, we're d-done." she hicced and started to stand up before falling back into her chair. I looked at her confused as I started to get up. I felt a huge wave of dizziness as I fell onto the floor, knocking the chair over. I laughed as I hit the ground.

"Y-yeah, we're done." I rolled over and looked up at Yang to see her dead asleep in her chair. I chuckled drunkenly before I finally dragged myself to my feet and stumbled over to Yang. I pulled her up onto my back and walked to the bedroom. I leaned on the wall for support as I carried a snoring Yang along. When I made it to the bed, I plopped Yang down on the bed. She didn't even snore as she fell onto the bed. I slowly pushed her to the side and got into the bed myself. I quickly fell asleep, without a thought in my mind about the day I've had.

* * *

_**REET REET REET REET! **_I sat up quickly in bed before I nearly passed out again from the dizziness. I grabbed my head in pain as I groped around my desk before I finally found my alarm clock and slammed the snooze button. The obnoxious noise stopped at once. I fell back down on my bed, feeling like utter shit. I looked to my right to see Yang sitting up in bed, holding her head. I slowly started to get up as I brought my feet over to the floor, sitting on the bed. I could hear Yang behind me.

"Uggghhhh, everything is painful…." I nodded my head very slowly, not wanting the dizziness to come back. I looked back at her.

"Yeah, those are the consequences of drinking half the night." She chuckled slightly and moved to sit next to me on the bed. We just sat there for a couple minutes, getting our bearings, before I got up slowly. I nearly fell over, but Yang stood up and supported me on her. We stood there for a second, just trying to stand up before we both moved apart and started moving around. I went straight into the kitchen and started up the coffee maker. I looked around the kitchen to see a knocked over chair and a bottle of Vodka just sitting open on the table. I moved to fix the chair and put the cap back on the bottle, storing the rest of the contents back where I had it before. I heard the shower start. I looked around the apartment, looking for anything else that would stand out before I sat down slowly at the kitchen table. I just kinda sat there for a while, holding my head. I didn't notice Yang get out of the shower until she was tapping me on the shoulder in her school clothes. I looked up at her and moved to the bedroom to grab my clothes and headed to the shower. Saying that it felt great would be a complete and total understatement. I wanted to just sit under that water forever, but eventually, I turned off the shower and got dressed for school. I walked back into the kitchen to find Yang not looking any better than me. She was sitting at the table with her coffee, taking long slow sips every now and then. I moved to the coffee maker and just poured some in a mug, not bothering to put anything else in it, just drinking it black. I sat down next to Yang, and for a while there was just silence. The only sound being the occasional sip from the mug. We were both okay with this, though and I hoped the silence would never end, but me of all people shouldn't expect the perfect moment to stay. We heard a loud rapping on the door as we both cringed at every knock. She started to stand up before I raised a hand and moved to the door. I just caught her grateful smiled before I turned to the door to open it. Ruby and Jaune were standing on the other side of the door. Ruby spoke first.

"Good Morning, Zach!" I cringed at her loud demeanor and covered my ears. I could hear Yang yelp quietly at the table and cover her ears as well.

"Hey, good morning. Do you mind if we keep it quiet right now?" Jaune looked at me confused, but spoke quietly.

"Why? Are you guys okay?" I nodded.

"Yeah, we're fine. Just tired is all. What's up?" They looked at each other before they shrugged.

"Just came by to see if you were okay. You didn't stop by the Dorms like you usually do. School started in 15 minutes." I nodded and motioned to Yang to come on. She nodded and put her mug in the sink, walking out the door to join the three of us. She moved to Ruby and ruffled her hair a little.

"Hey, little sis. Jaune." She nodded at Jaune and he smiled back. We headed to the dorms. Jaune moved into JNPRs. Yang, Ruby, and I headed into RWBY Dorm. We walked in to find Blake and Weiss ready to go, just standing around. I looked at the girls and spoke quietly.

"Everybody ready, school starts soon." Weiss face palmed as Blake just stared at Yang and I, piecing together what had happened.

"You guys can't seriously be-" Yang quickly interrupted.

"Feeling Under the weather, that's all." She nodded as Weiss walked out of the room silently. I looked back at her as she left. _Why is she acting like this around me now? Normal Weiss would have made some stuck up remark._ I looked at the door for a moment before I shook my head. I looked back to the others.

"Let's just get this day over with."

Every class sucked. Grimm Studies was torture, Professor Ports Booming voice gave me the biggest headache imaginable. Professor Oobleck's running about in History made me Dizzy enough to almost throw up. Luckily, when we got to Combat Training, my Hangover had subsided quite a bit, so I don't think Goodwitch noticed me. Though, every crack of that Riding Crop of hers gave me a whole new reason to want to rip my brain out every time. When the day was finally over, I walked back to my dorm with Yang. We opened the door to feel the welcomeness of home flow into our bodies. We quickly and surely went straight to the bed and took a power nap.

I sat up and stretched. The clock showed that I had only been asleep for an hour, but I felt much better. I looked down to see Yang was still sound asleep. I quietly stood up and threw a new shirt on. I picked up my jacket and turned to the door. I slowly opened it, and slipped outside, closing it slowly behind me so I wouldn't wake her up. When I turned around in the hallway, I saw Weiss looking at me. It looks like she had just walked down the hallway to her dorm, and had ran into me instead. We stared at each other for a second before she looked down.

"Hey, Zach. I have to start on my homework. I'll be in RWBY Dorm." She started to turn around, but I spoke before she could.

"We need to have a talk first."


	16. Chapter 16: The Past is Unforgotten

Weiss looked at looked at me nervously. "W-what? Why do we need to talk?" I stared down at her without flinching.

"You know why. You're avoiding me at every expense, and never talk to me about anything. Can you at least tell me why?" She looked at me cautiously for a second before she nodded and walked into her dorm. I followed close behind and closed the door behind me. She walked over and turned the chair at her desk, sitting in it. I took the chair from Blakes desk and placed it in front of her, sitting as well. We stared at each other for a minute before I spoke again.

"Why are you avoiding me? Is it because I was in the White Fang?" She nodded.

"Yes…. I mean, no. I mean….." She took a second to compose herself and looked at me a little more confidently. "I guess I'm not really sure why I'm avoiding you."

"There's no reason?"

"No, there is a reason. I just haven't figured it out yet." She looked down, as if she had started thinking about it. The was a couple minutes of silence again. I was a bit nervous to keep pushing her to think. I feel like if I push her too hard, she'll break and avoid me again. I looked at her cautiously.

"What is that makes being around me different from being around, say Ruby?" She looked up at me, leaving her thoughts.

"I-I get this feeling when I'm around you. Like of Dominance or Control." I nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I guess being the Team Leader gives me that feeling." She shook her head.

"No, it's not that. It's something else. Ever since your past has started becoming rather apparent with the Teams, you've been acting…. differently."

"How so?"

"You're acting more rash, more willing to break the rules. Yet you still keep this aura of Leadership and Loyalty. It seems… Dangerous." After a moment of quiet, I looked her in the eye. She seems to have gotten a lot more comfortable talking with me since I stopped her.

"What can I do to change?" She looked at me for a moment, surprised.

"You'd change for the thoughts of one person?" I nodded.

"Of course. If someone I trust tells me I'm doing not doing the right thing, then I'm going to listen." She looked at me blankly again.

"You trust me?" I looked at her for a second, thinking about it.

"Yeah, I trust you." There was silence between us before I stood up abruptly. I started for the door before I looked back at her. "Stay here for a sec, I'll be right back."

I opened the door to Team RWBY's dorm with something in my hand. Weiss was still where she was sitting when I told her to wait. When she saw me, her eyes widened when she saw what was in my hand. I held the rest of the bottle of Vodka up to her.

"I would like you to keep this from me. Make sure I don't make the mistake of turning to this again." She stared at me as I stayed still, with the bottle held out to her. She slowly stood up and took the bottle from me, holding it in her hands.

"Of course. I'll keep this far away from you." She walked into their kitchen and placed it in Team RWBY's Freezer, behind the large mound of Cookie Dough Ruby must have brought in. she returned to me with a smile.

"Thank you." I looked at her confused.

"I should be the one thanking you." She shook her head.

"No, thank you for helping me trust you again." She walked for me and we hugged for a second before we separated. I started for the door.

"I'm thinking about heading down to the Cafeteria, care to join me?"

"Yeah, sure." She followed me out the door. When we got outside I was turned back to Weiss, so I didn't see the other person walking down the hallway. I turned just in time to slam into someone, bringing us both to the floor.

"Ughhhh.." I started to sit up and look at the person I ran into. "Sorry, about th- Maggie?" The pink haired girl looked up at me.

"Zach?" We stared at each other for a moment before we both smiled.

"Hey, since when have you been at Beacon?"

"Since about 3 hours ago, I flew in from Minstrel for the Vytal Festival!" Weiss was looking at us like we were crazy.

"Do you two know each other?"We both looked at her and laughed. I spoke.

"Yeah, Maggie, this is Weiss Schnee. Weiss, this is Maggie." She stepped forward and put out a hand.

"Hi, Weiss. I'm Magenta Everdale, but I go by Maggie. Nice to meet you!" Weiss shook the girls hand.

"Yeah, nice to meet you, too." I turned to Weiss.

"We met a couple years back." She smirked at me.

"Yeah, when you saved me from a couple of thugs." I shrugged.

"Details." Weiss looked at us confused. I sighed.

"Here, I'll tell you the whole story."

* * *

_**Downtown Vale**_

_**2 years ago**_

_**11:48**_

_**Magenta's POV**_

"Get the hell away from me, you douchebags!" A 15- year old Magenta was cornered in an alley by four larger men. They were all armed with various weapons, from swords to sticks. The largest guys laughed, the others following his lead.

"Well, the little girly's got a mouth on her! We're gonna have teach her some manners!" The men started to move forward on the Maggie slowly, weapons drawn. Then, there was a loud crack, and the leader suddenly fell forwards, unconscious. The other three thugs turned around to see an empty alley. Then, a dark figure fell from the sky and landed on top of one of the men, sending him to the ground. The figure punched him in the head, and stood up slowly. It appeared to be a teenager, maybe fourteen. He had two armored gauntlets on his arms. He turned to the other two men.

"Would you mind leaving the girl alone? Or is this gonna get serious?" The boy cracked his knuckles loudly as the men looked at him, furious.

"That little punk took out Porch and Jimmy! Let's get him!" One was wielding a sword, while the other had a baseball bat. They ran forward at the boy, but he just stood there. At the last second, the boy jumped up, leaving the men stumbling past him. The teen fell back to the ground and ran forward at unimaginable speed,grabbing one of the guys by the back of the head, pushing him into the wall. The man crumpled to the ground. The other thug started to back up where he was sitting, leaving his bat on the ground. The boy ran forward and picked the man up, holding him with one hand on the front of his shirt, the other held back ready to punch. After a couple of frightening seconds, the boy pushed the man out of the alleyway and stared at him with fierce eyes.

"Get out of here, tell all your dumbass buddies that The Drifter is back in Vale." The man nodded and ran off. Magenta had been frozen where she was standing, as the kid that called himself "The Drifter" took out all those guys. She was staring at the boy with interest, he was looking out of the alley for a while, as if challenging anyone else to come attack them. Then, he suddenly turned back at the her with tired eyes.

* * *

_**Zachary's POV**_

I had been walking down the street, with my duffle over my shoulder. I had just left Pyrrha and the Tournaments, and everything. Right now, I was looking for a bar that could get some beer to a minor. Then, I heard the girl yell. I looked down the alley to find some thugs trying to hurt her, and I couldn't stop myself. I dropped my bag at the opening of the alleyway and knocked out all the guys. Now I'm in front of the Pink haired girl. she looked around my age, maybe 15. She was wearing some worn out skinny jeans, a loose t-shirt, and a denim jacket. She had a bookbag on her back. I looked at her, I really wasn't in the mood to be doing this, but if I'm going to be getting my name around, then this'll be the way to do it.

"Are you okay?" She was staring at me with curious eyes.

"Yes, thank you for saving me." I nodded at her.

"It's nothing." She tilted her head to the side a bit.

"Is there something I can do in return?"

"No, it's fine. Just doing the right thing." She shook her head at me.

"At least let me buy you dinner, you look like you've had a rough day." She walked forward and hooked her arm in mine. "You have to make sure I get home safe anyways, right?" I raised my eyebrow at her before willingly walking with her out of the alley, I picked up my duffel on the way out. she eyed it suspiciously, but said nothing. "I know this good place not too far from here, let's go." I shrugged.

"Alright."

We sat down at our table, I put my bag on the floor next to my chair, she put her backpack next to hers. The waiter put menus in front of us.

"Would you two like any drinks?" I looked up at him.

"Water is fine." This place was way too fancy to be serving beer to minors, I guess I'll have to wait until later. The girl looked up at the waiter.

"I'll take a Strawberry Daiquiri." The waiter eyed her suspiciously.

"I'm going to have to see your ID for that." She smiled and held up a card. The man looked at it and his face went blank.

"Okay, this works." The girl turned to me.

"Sure you want just water?" I smiled at her.

"I'll take a Bourbon, on the rocks." The waiter nodded and wrote wrote it down, then walked off with a confused look on his face. I leaned in to the girl.

"What was that?" I said pointing at the waiter. She smiled and pulled out the card.

"A little invention of mine, causes temporary confusion and amnesia to whoever looks at the surface of it. Easy to trick people that way." I looked at her confused.

"How did you make that?" She smiled shyly and pushed some hair behind her ear.

"I'm kinda a prodigy. I have an IQ of 190, even though I'm only 15. I'm able to make things like this. Engineering, Programming. I won't go into the details." I looked at her blankly.

"You're a genius." She nodded.

"Yeah, I guess you could put it that way." The waiter came back with our drinks.I quickly took a sip of my whiskey. I looked back at the girl.

"You know, I never got your name."

"Magenta Everdale, but I go by Maggie. What's yours?"

"Zachary Milos, people call me Zach."

* * *

We sat there half the night and just talked. She would show me all these different inventions of hers in that backpack, every one being more amazing than the last. Eventually, the night came to an end. We walked out the front door of the restaurant and were standing on the street looking at each other. I spoke first.

"You know, it's nearly 2:00. Don't you need to be home by now?" She chuckled.

"Nah, I've got time. There's no one at home waiting for me." I raised an eyebrow at her. She shook her head. "I'm not going into that, maybe another time." I forwned.

"There probably won't be another time." She looked at me confused.

"Why not?"

"I'm going to be moving around Vale for a while."

"But, why? Have business saving defenseless girls elsewhere?" I laughed and smiled.

"No, I just can't stay in one place for too long, if I do, problems start to arise, so." I pulled my duffel up on my back. "I'll be living on the streets." I started to walk off, but after I took a few steps, Maggie caught my arm.

"I'm willing to risk problems." I turned to her confused.

"W-what?" She was glaring at me.

"Come stay with me for a while, you won't have to be out on the streets. I've got an empty apartment anyways." I stared at her for a second before I smiled.

"I can't risk your life. You're too nice to have to deal with me." I slowly pulled my arm from her grasp. "Here's a piece of advice though. Get out of Vale. There are a lot of powers rising here, and I don't want you caught up in the middle of it. Head out to Vacuou or Minstrel or something, stay safe." With that I walked off into the night.


	17. Chapter 17: Data

"So I guess you took my advice?" Weiss, Maggie and I had made our way to the Cafeteria. Maggie nodded.

"Yeah, a couple weeks after that night I took a plane to Minstrel. From there, I got into the best Combat School I could find, and I've been getting through it pretty smoothly." I looked at her.

"Combat School? You've been training to be a hunter?" She nodded.

"Yeah, I wanted to be able to defend myself in the future, so I started training." I nodded.

"Good, next time I won't have to save you." I then perked up a little. "Wait, what's your weapon of choice?" She smiled.

"Wait a sec and I'll show you." She looked up. "Drones 3, 5, and 7. Come down here." Weiss and I looked at her confused before a couple of small shapes flew down and landed on the table in front of us. Weiss shrieked and jumped back in her seat. I looked at her confused before looking at the small creatures. They appeared to be three wasps that were crawling around on the table, but there was something off about them. They were completely metal. Their eyes were glowing blue, as well as their wings. The rest of the wasp was a chrome colored metal. Maggie smiled down at them and put her hand out. The wasps crawled into her palm and each of them folded up. They turned into three small flash drives. She pocketed two of them and pulled a tablet out of her back pack. She quickly plugged the flash drive in and after a few swipes, there was footage of the three of us meeting, and talking for the past hour. She looked at us.

"These are my weapons. They're portable drones that can provide surveillance for Recon missions. They're stingers are filled with a potent Paralysis Poison that can knock out a full grown bear in thirty seconds. And can self destruct if they ever get caught, nothing left to salvage." I looked at her impressed.

"Wow, that's pretty cra-" She interrupted me.

"That's not even the half of it, though!" She tapped a couple times on her tablet and pulled up some blueprints showing an human sized machine. "This is a fully mobile exoskeleton I created. It has access in that helmet to holographic data from my wasps, giving me full sight from wherever they're at, as well as the people in front of me. It gives me inhuman strength, and has various firearms that I can have access to if needed." I was nodding at her, even though I could barely understand what she was saying. Weiss was listening and had sat back down. She suddenly perked up.

"But how were you able to put the interface of your wasp's video in your helmet? Wouldn't that obscure your vision in a fight?" She smiled at Weiss, obviously happy to have met someone that be able to understand engineering.

"I used a holographic interface on the sides of the helmet that shows the feed in front of my face if commanded, but I can also just take the raw data from the drones and place them on the left and right side of my helmet. They can help me see what attack patterns my enemies will use, making it easier to predict their next move." She nodded happily.

"That's smart! It'll give you a big advantage in a fight!" Maggie brushed her hair behind her ear and smiled.

"It's not perfect. Technically, it's still in the prototype stage." I frowned at her.

"Why can't it be a mainstream weapon?" She looked down.

"I've been contacted a couple of times by the Altesian Military. They would like full access to the final form of the exoskeleton, but I don't want to give it to them, So I keep it in the Prototype stage. The Government has no rights to it, and I can upgrade it as I please." I frowned.

"That's not right. The Military shouldn't just have a right to what you created. I'll have a talk with Ozpin to see about letting them off your back." She raised her hands up to me quickly.

"No, don't do that! Look, it's fine in the prototype stage. I don't want any unnecessary attention." It took me a couple of seconds, but I smiled.

"Alright, whatever you say."

"Hey, Zach! Hey, Weiss!" I turned to see the rest of Team RWBY walking over to us. I smiled at them.

"Hey, I want you guys to meet a friend of mine." Maggie stood up. "This is Maggie. Maggie, this is Ruby, Blake, and Yang." She smiled and stepped forward to shake their hands.

"Hi, Magenta Everdale, nice to meet you!" Ruby smiled.

"Ruby Rose, at you service!" She looked really happy to have met a new friend. Blake closed the book she was holding and shook Maggie's hand.

"Blake Belladonna." She then got to Yang, who was eyeing her suspiciously.

"Yang Xiao Long, nice to meet you." She then walked over to me and gave me a deep kiss on the lips. It lasted for about 10 seconds before she pulled away. I looked at her confused before I saw her glare at Maggie. Maggie had, at that point, already put two and two together. She laughed.

"Oh, please don't be jealous. I have no interest in Zach. I don't swing that way, anyway." Yang relaxed as Ruby looked at Maggie confused.

"What do you mean?" She looked at Ruby.

"Well, I'm into girls, not guys." She shrugged like this was nothing. I looked at her and laughed.

"So, when did this happen?" She smiled at me.

"Since before I met you, that's for sure." I frowned.

"Wow, I really thought I was putting the moves on you that night." She laughed as Yang punched me in the chest. "Yeah, yeah. Sorry." I looked at Ruby. She was staring at Maggie, as if deep in thought.

"Hey, Ruby. You okay?" She turned to me blankly before returning to her usual perky self.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" I shrugged.

"No reason." Weiss then clapped her hands.

"Maggie, I forgot to ask. You can't possibly have all the data from your drones in those flash drives, where do you keep all the data?" The rest of her Team looked at her confused, but Maggie just smiled.

"I'll show you. Let's head over to my room. I set everything up when I got here." She started walking to the door of the Cafeteria. The rest of us in close pursuit. When we got outside, Maggie pulled the three flash drives out again and threw them up in the air. They turned back into wasps when they got to the peak of the ascent and began flying around. Weiss ended up in the front talking to Maggie about all that technology stuff that the rest of us didn't understand. Ruby was running after the Wasps. Blake had returned to the book she had and was following close behind the others. Yang and I were walking side by side behind Blake. I turned to my girlfriend.

"How you liking Maggie?" She smiled and nodded.

"She's pretty cool. Really nice. As long as she doesn't have anything with you, I'm happy." I laughed and started to flex mockingly.

"You know there are thousands of girls out there that scream in ecstasy at my name, right?" She laughed and punched me again.

"Yeah, yeah. Sure there are." We made it inside the dorms and we were in front of one of the doors. Maggie turned back us as we gathered around. She looked up at the wasps crawling on the ceiling first.

"Drones 3,5,7. Drive mode!" They all turned back into the Flash drives and fell into her hand. Then she turned to us. "Okay, just a warning. When we get inside, there will be no touching of anything that looks like it'll break." We all looked at each other skeptically as she opened the door and turned on the light. We all walked in and looked around in awe. On one wall, there was just countless computer screens, most of them were turned off, but a couple were showing footage of different things around campus. Those must be her Wasps flying about. The rest of the room was covered in wires or posters of video games. She had her bed pushed in the corner, but in front of it was a huge Television with Three different Game consoles below it in the entertainment station. Below that were a bunch of Video games stack up in no specific order. On the wall behind the TV was a large Manikin that had the Exoskeleton that Maggie was talking about her earlier strapped to it. Maggie walked over to next to her bed, not stepping on a single wire with practised expertise. She walked up to a large Neon Blue Box and opened it up to reveal a huge group of Flash Drives all plugged in in lines. She carefully plugged in the three flash drives she had. Then Three of the TVs on the wall lit up, showing footage. She then closed the box and looked at us as we looked at the TVs, confused.

"Oh, those all correspond with all the drives in this router." She placed her hand on top of the box. "Since I just put in three of my drones, their processing and saving all the data onto their computer. That way, I can have access to each of the data by drone or-" She walked over to the table and sat down in the chair in front of a computer screen a little larger than the others. "I can log into this computer and have access to all the data on all of these computers, in a group folder."We all had befuddled faces. Blake spoke first.

"And how long did it take you to set all this up." Maggie shrugged.

"Bout an hour." Our jaws hit the floor. Ruby looked at her in awe.

"It took you an hour to set up all of this!" She gestured at all the computers and wires. She smiled nervously and pushed her hair behind her ear.

"Y-yeah. If you know your Technology well, then it's pretty easy to transport it." I laughed and walked over to her.

"Well, I guess it helps to be a genius." She smiled.

"Yeah, I guess that helps." Weiss smiled and turned to the door.

"Well, I've got Homework to do. So I'm heading back to the dorm." Blake and Yang looked at each other.

"We're going out to Vale, so we're going to go as well." They all left, leaving Maggie, Ruby, I. I turned to Ruby to see her looking a Maggie. Maggie was looking back at her with interest. Ruby then spoke.

"Hey, Zach. Do you mind if I talk to Maggie for a little while?" I looked at Maggie confused, but she just nodded her head at me. I shrugged and walked out of the room, ruffling Ruby's hair on the way out. I ran to catch up with Yang and Blake.

_**Maggie's POV**_

"So, what did you want to talk about Ruby?" Ruby stood where she was uncomfortably.

"I wanted to ask you about something you said." I nodded.

"Yes?" She sighed.

"W-when you said y-you were into girls, you s-said it like it was nothing. I-is it a normal thing?" I smiled a little.

"I guess that depends on what you think. I would say it's normal, but that's because I'm that way. Others would think differently." Ruby looked down worryingly. I stood up and walked over to her putting a hand on her shoulder. I had a hypothesis, and I wanted to test it out. "But that doesn't change who you are." She looked up at me, confused, but I kept going. "People have said many different things to me when I told them that I was a lesbian, but I've never let it get me down. I'm just like any other 17-year-old girl, so I don't act like anything other than that." Ruby was now looking at me with hopeful eyes.

"You're right! Thank you!" She zipped out the door with amazing speed. I smiled at the door, moving to close it. I then walked back to the monitors and started going through my Drone's Footage of Ruby. After a couple minutes of searching, I found the past hour of Footage from Drone 3. After watching a couple minutes of Ruby, I figured it out. Ruby ran about and acted like a child on the regular, but usually, I could see her glance at Weiss when her back was turned. I froze the image on her face one of the times on the way here. After I zoomed in a bunch, I could see her expression was of caring, maybe even love. I quickly exited out of the files and back my chair up a little bit, smiling.

**Hey, guys. GuffeyManipulation here. Would like to say that I'm still looking for changes in the Summary and The Title of this story. PM me if you have any ideas. I still accepting new OCs for the story. Maggie was a creation of my own, because nobody sent me anything. **


	18. Chapter 18: Best Day Ever

The Teams and I were all sitting around for lunch. The only people not present was Ruby and Maggie. Maggie's been molding into our group fairly well. The others accepted her quickly and she has been hanging out with us ever since she got to Beacon. Right now, she was off shopping for what she called "Necessary Materials" for upgrading her exo suit. Those Materials probably consisted of Chips and Soda to stock the Mini-Fridge under her bed. Ruby was off doing Oum knows what. Earlier she randomly squealed while we were all hanging out and ran off in excitement. Blake was looking down into her Journal. I leaned over, trying to get a peek of what's inside.

"What's that?" She quickly closed it. I barely got a glance at a couple of pictures before it was closed.

"Nothing, just notes from last Semester." I narrowed my eyes at her before shrugging and relaxing. A grape went flying over my shoulder, to be caught in Yang's mouth. She turned to Blake, smiling.

"Laaaame." I looked back to see Nora giggling, and starting to load another fruit. I ducked as it went flying over my head and into my girlfriends mouth.

"**Bang!"** I quickly pulled my head up as Ruby threw an enormous Binder on top of the table. She cleared her throat.

"Teammates! Friends! Weiss!" I could hear her yell of complaint, but Ruby kept going. "Four Score and Seven minutes ago, I had a dream!" Yang looked at us jokingly.

"This oughta be good." I smiled at her as she caught another fruit in her mouth. Ruby continued her speech.

"A Dream that one day, the five of us could come together, as a team, and have the most fun anyone has ever had… EVER!" I got a closer look at the Binder.

"Wait, is that my binder?" She raised two peace signs.

"I am not a crook." Blake looked at her confused, but her voice showed amusement.

"What are you talking about?" Ruby pointed at her.

"I'm talking about kicking off the semester with a Bang!" Yang raised her fist up.

"I always kick my semesters off with a Yang! Eh! Guys? Am I right?!" I cupped my hands around my mouth.

"Booooooooo…" A tomato flew past my head and bonked her on the nose. She glared behind me at Nora. Ruby continued.

"Look, guys. It's been a good two weeks, and between more exchange students arriving and the Tournament at the end of the year, our Second Semester is gonna be great, but classes start back up tomorrow. Which is why I have planned a schedule of wonderful events for us today!" Weiss looked at her disapprovingly.

"I don't know whether to be proud or scared of what you have planned for us." I moved my head to the right as Yang threw an apple back at Team JNPR behind me.

"It'll be fine, Weiss. If she went to the trouble of making a schedule, we might as well try it out!" Blake looked at me.

"I don't know. I think I might sit this one out." Weiss turned her head to the faunus.

"Sit out or not, I think however we spend this last day, we should do it as a Team!" She stood up as I could hear Nora yell behind me. "I for one think that-" She was stopped abruptly as a pie slammed into her face. I laughed and glanced behind me to see Nora pointing at Ren.

* * *

**Outside the Cafeteria**

"Heh, man that's harsh." Neptune had come with Sun to Beacon to meet a couple of his new friends. Sun has been telling countless stories about their adventures together.

"And then we were fighting side by side, and she was super fast, and I threw a banana at a guy, which sounds gross, but it was awesome!" Neptune nodded his head, used to his friends ADD.

"Niiiice." Sun kept going.

"And the best part is, she's a Faunus!" He suddenly put his hand to his mouth, realising what he had said. "But that's a secret Okay!" Neptune nodded, annoyed.

"Got it." Sun got in his face.

"And not a "I'm gonna go tell Scarlet the second Sun turns his back" Secret. I'm talkin Secret Secret!" Neptune smiled.

"Woah, chill out man, okay. I got it! I got it." Sun patted his chest.

"You better."

"Pheeew." Sun shrugged.

"I just don't want to screw this up, you know! The people here are the coolest! No offense to you guys." Neptune shook his head.

"None taken." Sun stopped at the doorway.

"Okay, they're just in here, so be cool. Okay? You gonna be cool, right?" Neptune crossed his arms and flashed a smile.

"Dude." Sun nodded.

"Good point." They walked in to see utter chaos, Sun was smiling madly, but Neptune looked like he wanted to find cover.

* * *

**Zach's POV**

There was a high pitched laughter as Nora chanted on the top of her mound of chairs, the rest of Team JNPR standing on various spots underneath her.

"I"M QUEEN OF THE CASTLE! I'M QUEEN OF THE CASTLE!" Ruby slammed her foot onto one of the tables, shuddering the wood.

"Justice will be swift! Justice will be painful! IT WILL BE DELICIOUS!" The rest of her Team cheered behind her. I took cover behind a couple of toppled chairs as Team JNPR Started sending Melons at RWBY. I smiled. This is gonna be a good skirmish between the two Teams. Ruby turned to her sister.

"Yang! Turkeys!" The Blonde Huntress ran forward and slammed her hands into two turkeys, slamming her fists together, releasing a flare of Aura. She started punching the Melons out of the air as they came flying down at her, decimating all of them. Blake then jumped of her and grabbed two Baguettes and started destroying some of the Melons in harmony with her partner. Yang then threw her two Turkeys at the enemy. Pyrrha dodged out of the way, but Jaune took both of them to the face, sending him to the ground. Blake ran forward as Pyrrha picked up a longer loaf of Bread. The two crossed loaves until they were sent into flawless battle, bread only hitting bread or air until Blake jumped up, throwing one of her Baguettes at Pyrrha only to have her dodge and charge forward, knocking Blake back with her loaf, catching Blakes "Sword" as it flew through the air and threw it at Yang, who knocked it out of the sky. She deflected two more loaves until one finally hit it's target, sending her back as well. Ruby jumped over her sister and started riding a saucer over the tables. Pyrrha threw a loaf at her, only for Ruby to jump and deflect it back at it's owner. Pyrrha barely dodged, landing on one knee. Ruby came down and slammed her board into Pyrrha, who blocked with her arms, only to be overpowered and sent back, Ruby landing lightly on her feet. Then Ren and Nora ran forward. Ruby baked up and Weiss took her place, with ketchup as her weapon. She sprayed the ground gracefully, sending Ren sliding into a group of Tables, sending them in all directions. Nora jumped over the ketchup, though, and swung on a pipe above, pulling it off and thrusting it into a melon below, making a makeshift warhammer. I noted her resourcefulness as she pulled the hammer down on Weiss, only for Ruby to desperately jump in front of her. She was hit by the hammer and was sent flying back. Weiss rolled out of the way of Ruby's body and picked up a swordfish to replace her Rapier. She charged Nora with ferocity, sending her flying back to only land on her feet and run back into the fight. Nora started swinging around the hammer, Weiss barely dodging and Parrying, until she was finally hit and was sent flying back. Ruby jumped up just in time to gasp as Weiss slammed into a pillar, breaking it and start falling. She ran forward and caught Weiss's body.

"Weiss! Weiss! Don't Leave me! NOOOOOOOO!" She screamed as the pillar collapsed behind her. I gave her points for style. Yang then ran forward and took back her Turkey Gauntlets, charging the tower. Ren jumped over a Vending machine, vaulting over a table, picking up a couple of Leaks on the way, and started running at his enemy. They charged each other, Yang trying for a kick, which Ren blocked with his weapons. They were sent into close combat, Yang oviously the superior, giving him hit after hit until she finally punched him into the air. He looked down and through his Leaks desperately, only to have her dodge them and jump up, punching Ren into the ground hard. Nora quickly took his place as he struggled to stand. The two blocked attacks for a moment before they both went for a knockout hit, Nora pulled her hammer up first, though, sending Yang flying out the roof of the building. Blake barely dodged the debris, picking up a sausage link roll on her way back. She then began flinging it around her like a whip. She swung at Nora, sending her flying back into a soda machine. Nora just picked a couple up, and started throughing them like grenades at Blake. After a couple useless throws, Pyrrha started to stand. She pushed her hand on the ground, activating her Semblance. All the cans skattered around started to levitate. She sent them flying at Blake, a barrage that she couldn't dodge. It went her flying across the room above Ruby. The team leader stood up slowly and glared at the enemy team. She then got into position and sprinted forward. All the surrounding debris, whether it be food or tables, getting caught in a whirlwind behind her. She kept running, testing her limits, until she torpedoed through the air, enveloped in her red hood. She went flying past Team JNPR, getting them all spiraling through her whirlwind. She then spun to a stop at the far wall, cracking the building itself. All of the enemy Team slammed into the wall, sticking there from the winds. Then a barrage of food came flying upon them, covering them from head to toe in different colored food. Ruby landed back down gracefully as her friends all slid off the wall slowly. I stood up from where I was sitting and was about to start clapping, until I heard the doors slam open. All of my cover levitated into the air, the plates mending, the tables all getting put into their places. When everything was finally replaced, I saw Goodwitch standing in the middle of it all, pissed. She straighten her glasses and Glared at my Teams.

"Children, please. Do not play with your food!" I started walking towards her. Nobody undermines my teams like that! Not after the incredible skill they just showed in battle! I kept walking, Goodwitch saw me and waited for my barrage, glaring right back at me. Suddenly, Ozpin appeared in between both of us. I looked at him for a second. He gave me a tired look, as if he was thinking "I really don't want to be a part of this, but I must because it is my duty." I stared at him until I nodded and walked back to my friends, getting there just in time to catch Yang as she fell back from the sky. Goodwitch stared at us Furiously. Ozpin put a hand on her shoulder.

"Let it go." She turned to him and calmed down.

"They're supposed to be the defenders of the world." Ozpin nodded.

"And they will be, but right now they're still children. So why not let them play the part?" He started to walk back to the door. "After all, it isn't a role they'll have forever."

I turned to my friends as I got there. Yang called out first.

"Where were you during that?" I shrugged.

"Surveying the fight." I turned to Team JNPR.

"You guys did well fighting, Pyrrha flawless as always, Nora packing a big hit. Ren, try to get more in touch when to defend and attack in a close quarters battle, Yang knocked you down pretty damn hard." Ren nodded, accepting the advice. "And Jaune, don't worry about getting knocked out so quickly, few people stand a chance against Yang." He looked down sheepishly, but I had already turned to Team RWBY. "Blake, Yang very resourceful with weaponry, and worked in perfect Sync. very impressive fighting. Ruby, Weiss, you two worked well in fighting alone, but you are still lacking in fighting together. When I see the two of you fighting as partners, I see one taking lead while the other takes a breath. You need to be able to move more in and out of Combat together." Ruby smiled, but Weiss looked indifferent, trying to look as superior as possible. Suddenly the doors burst open. I turned to see Maggie running in with a couple of her wasps flying around her.

"What happened?! I just got back and everyone's talking about a huge commotion at the Cafeteria! What I miss?" We all looked at each other and laughed. I walked over to her.

"Nothing much, just a little fight." Blake suddenly stood up and started for the door.

"I'm going to take a shower, this food stinks." The others murmured in agreeance and left as well. I was left with Maggie, and for some reason Sun and some other guy. I turned to Sun and held up a hand.

"Sup, Sun." He gladly took it and we held it there for a second before letting go.

"Nothin much. Hey, I want you to meet Neptune, an old friend of mine." The blue haired guy raised a hand.

"Sup." Then, Sun turned to Maggie confused, as her Wasps started to spread out and cover the Cafeteria.

"Whose this?" I forgot they hadn't met.

"Oh, yeah. Guys, this is Maggie, a friend of mine coming from Minstrel." She stepped forward and put out a hand.

"Magenta Everdale, Nice to meet you." Sun shook the hand awkwardly.

"Yeah, ditto." She looked at me and raised her eyebrows. I just shrugged.

"Sun's not the most Formal of people." Neptune laughed.

"Yeah, that's a bit of an understatement." He then looked up at the Wasps as they came back down to Maggie. She smiled and put out her hand. They all turned back into their flash drive forms and dropped into her hand, she was about to pocket them, but Neptune stopped her.

"What in the world was that beautiful device?" She smiled and brought out one of the drives, walking to the door, Neptune beside her. She started explaining her drones to him. I looked at Sun confused. He shrugged at the pair.

"He's a nerd." I sighed in relief.

"Good, now Maggie's got someone to talk to about those things." We followed after the pair.

**Hey, guys. I ended this chapter kinda abruptly, but only because I wanted to episode to differ from the Show more than it did. I didn't really know where to stop it, so I just ended at the blossoming friendship of two ultra-nerds.**


	19. Chapter 19: Welcome to Beacon

Maggie, Sun, Neptune, and I sat down in the Cafeteria, looking out at the flow of Exchange Students from the other kingdoms. A couple minutes after the others left, A large sum of Military vehicles have started docking at Beacon. We were watching it all from the safety of the cafeteria. Maggie from the looks of it, was practically hiding under the table we were at, as if they were going to catch her doing something she wasn't supposed to. Neptune and Sun were not as scared though. They were both standing at the window, looking out at the small army with Awe. I was just sitting at the table, watching the Altesian Army, once again, show off it's immense power and resources. I scowled and looked down at Maggie, who was still hiding behind the table.

"What are you so scared of? They're here to help defend the people during the Vytal Festival." Maggie looked at me with a worried expression.

"Yeah, sure, but the second any of those soldiers see me, They'll report it to their commanding officer here. I don't feel like getting "Persuaded" to give away my mind to the Military." She continued to hide under her table, I rolled my eyes and stood up.

"Well, I'm going to go talk to Ozpin about all this. It seems odd to have so much military force with such a large mass of people. It's only going to scare them." I turned to Sun and Neptune.

"You guys should probably stay here. Ozpin doesn't know you guys yet." They nodded and continued looking out. I turned down to Maggie.

"You will be coming along, though." She looked up at me with angry eyes.

"What?! No! I'm not leaving this room until I know it's safe!" I shrugged and walked over to her.

"It'll be fine. If you come along, you can tell Ozpin that you don't want to be harassed by these guys. He'll understand." Maggie looked at me with defiant eyes.

"I am not leaving this table!" I shrugged and picked her up by the waist, flinging her onto my shoulder.

* * *

"I cannot believe you just did that." I was grinning from ear to ear as Maggie stood in the elevator next to me, her arms crossed and slouched, obviously pissed.

"I gave you a chance to come willingly." She turned and punched me in the arm.

"Yes, but that does not give you the rights to carry me halfway across the campus! I'm gonna be a laughingstock now!" I laughed as she punched me again.

"Alright! Alright! I'm sorry!" She turned away from me and put her chin up, still pissed. I rolled my eyes at her. "It'll be fine. It's high time you met Ozpin anyways, he is the Headmaster here." The elevator doors opened to reveal the secretary desk, and the door leading to his office. There was nobody at the secretary desk, so I just went and knocked on the door. I turned to Maggie, who was still cross armed behind me.

"Hey, cheer up. What's the worst that could happen?" We heard Ozpin's yell for us to come in. I opened the door to see Ozpin sitting at his desk, and a man in a White Suit standing in front of him. They appeared to be having a quiet conversation, but stopped when we knocked. The man looked at Maggie as she walked in with excited eyes. When Maggie saw the man, she turned to me and punched me as hard as she could. She whispered in my ear as I held my arm in pain.

"That is exactly the worst thing that could happen!" Before she could continue, the man spoke up.

"Magenta Everdale! This is an unexpected meeting! How are you doing?" She scowled at him and crossed her arms.

"No amount of flattery will win you my inventions, Ironwood." The man looked at her surprised, but I could see through his feeble attempt to lie.

"What do you mean? I was just exchanging formalities?" I frowned at him, but Ozpin cut in before anything else could be said.

"What is the meaning of this sudden arrival, Zachary?" I looked at Ozpin.

"I was just here, concerned about the well being of my Teams, and wondering why there is an Armada not a mile away?" Ozpin looked at me, his everlasting poker face watching me.

"They are here for the protection of the people. They show no harm to any of the Hunters and Huntresses-in-training." I looked at him a little frustrated.

"Alright, then why are we in need of enough soldiers to fight a war?" The man in the white suit stepped forward, now frowning at me.

"They are a precaution of what is to come." I took a step forward as well, not afraid of this man.

"And who are you to say anything?" The man frowned angrily at me.

"I am General Ironwood of the Alesian Military. And when I speak of my forces, I speak true." I growled in his face. The man was easily a 4 inches taller than me, but I didn't back down.

"Then what is to come, Mr. Army-boy? What battle needs a couple hundred soldiers?" Ozpin cut in again.

"Zachary, as Headmaster of Beacon, I am ordering you to leave this room." I leaned to the right of Ironwood to look at Ozpin. He was staring at me with frustrated eyes. I stared at him for a moment before I nodded silently and turned around.

"It was nice meeting you, General Ironwood. Let's go, Maggie." I didn't have to ask twice. She was happy to leave the room, and followed beside me as I walked out of the room and right to the elevator. We were silent as we looked ahead. I suddenly sighed and rubbed my temples, stressed from what just happened.

"Man, that guy really rubbed me the wrong way." Maggie shrugged.

"He does that to everybody." I looked at her out of the corner of my eye.

"How long has he been asking for your inventions?" She didn't move as she answered, without hesitation.

"Two and a half years." We were silent for the rest of the ride.

* * *

"Hmmmmmm. Alriiiight. Hmmmmmmm, hah! Alright! Yang Xiao Long! Prepare your kingdom for battle!" Yang pumped her fist.

"Bring it on!" The Teams finally gathered up after another half hour and we all made it to the library. Team RWBY was in a fierce game of Wrisk, Team JNPR was studying for the upcoming semester and reading, Maggie was sitting with Team JNPR, on one of her portable game consoles. I was reading a book I had found in the library, leaning against one of the bookshelves. Ruby pulled one of her cards high above her head.

"I deploy The Alesian Air Fleet!" Yang gasped in response, but Ruby continued. "Looks like I get to fly right over your Ursai and attack your walls directly!" She started making airplane noises as Yang gasped in response.

"Huuuuuhhhh! You Fiend!" Ruby looked down on the board.

"An since Atlas is part of Mantel. My repair time only lasts one turn!" Yang looked down at her cards and started to giggle, smirking at her sister.

"Pretty sneaky, Sis, but you just activated my trap card!" Ruby gasped back at her with horror. Yang held one of her cards high. "Giant Nevermore! If I roll a seven or higher, Fatal Feathers will slice your fleet in two!" Ruby pointed at her sister.

"But! If you roll a six or lower, the Nevermore will turn on your own forces!" Yang leaned in closer.

"That's just a chance I'm willing to take!" I glanced up from my book.

"Aren't you guys being a little relaxed about Fatal Nevermores. One of them nearly killed all of us at the beginning of the year."Yang shrugged.

"It has 300 attack power." I nodded solemnly before turning back to my book as Yang rolled, Ruby groaning in disappointment. There was a series of moves where Yang took multiple cards from Ruby and a ton of her troops, then turned to Weiss.

"Well, Weiss. It's your turn." She looked down at her cards, confused.

"I have….. Absolutely no idea what's going on." I sighed and closed my book, walking over to the heiress and standing behind her. I raised my eyebrows when I saw her cards. She had some of the most powerful cards in the deck, all of them suited to her kingdom as well. Yang started to peek over at Weiss's cards to "Help," but I pushed her head back to her seat.

"Alright, Weiss you're Vacuo, which means Vacuo based cards give bonus rewards." She looked at me sarcastically.

"That sounds dumb." I sighed.

"Look, if you want to win, try Resourceful Raider. You can take Ruby out of the game right now, leaving only two opponents. Also, since you are taking out her only nemesis, you could strike up a peace treaty with Yang." I then whispered the last part. "Then Betray her in a couple of turns." She looked at me, still confused.

"And that means?" Ruby was crying in her seat as she spoke up.

"You are only three moves away from conquering Remnant!" Weiss suddenly got the idea and stood up menacingly.

"Hahahahaha, Yes. Fear the almighty power of my forces! Cower as they pillage your homes and Weep as they take your children from your very arms!" Yang held up a card.

"Trap Card." Weiss looked up confused.

"Huh?" Yang moved some pieces around on the board.

"Your armies have been destroyed." Weiss sat down and started crying as well.

"I hate this game of Emotions we play!" Ruby just materialized in her arms.

"Stay strong Weiss, we'll make it through this together!" Weiss hugged her back.

"Shut Up! Don't touch me!" I could hear Maggie sigh from her table.

"Awww, young love." I turned to her confused. It looks like I was the only one that had heard. When she saw me, she just shrugged and went back to her game. Yang crossed her arms behind her head and turned to her Partner.

"Alright, Blake. You're up." Blake looked up. She appeared to have been in deep thought.

"Hmm? Oh, umm Sorry, what am I doing?" Yang crossed her arms.

"You're playing as Vale, trying to conquer the four kingdoms of Remnant." Blake looked down at her cards, confused before Jaune walked over, bored with his studies.

"Hey! Can I play?" Ruby responded.

"Sorry, Jaune. We've already got four people." Weiss scoffed at him.

"Besides, this game requires a tactical cunning that I seriously doubt you possess." I spoke without looking up from my book.

"You attacked your own Naval Fleet two turns ago." She groaned in frustration as Jaune started moving from foot to foot.

"Bring it on, Ice Queen. I'll have you know, I've been told I'm a natural-born Leader!" She scoffed at him again.

"By who? Your mother?" He pointed desperately behind him.

"And Pyrrha!" She looked up from her studies and waved at them.

"Hello again!" Jaune put his hands together and begged.

"Come on, let me play your hand for a turn!" Weiss held her cards away from him protectively.

"I'm not trusting you with the good citizens of Vacuo!" Jaune shrugged.

"Why not?! You've me with way more important stuff before! I mean, you told us all that Blake is secretly a F-" I ran forward and put a hand over his mouth. I could hear Pyrrha sighing in relief, she was standing just in front of her seat, ready as well. I quickly came up with a response, turning to Blake.

"Fun loving person, whom we all admire and respect!" I pulled my hand down as Jaune chuckled nervously, shrinking under Blake's stare. He looked down.

"Right, that. Ladies, enjoy your battle." He gave a low bow as Sun and Neptune walked over.

"Sup, losers." Everyone turned to Sun raising his hand and smiling. Ruby was the only to respond.

"Hey, Sun."

"Ruby, Yang, Blake, Zach, Ice Queen." Weiss put up her hands, exasperated.

"Why does everyone keep calling me that!" Sun ignored her and turned to his friend.

"I didn't get the chance to formally introduce you to my old friend." Neptune turned to them.

"Uhhh, aren't Library's for reading?" I looked up imitated Ren as he put his hands up.

"Thank You!" Nora snorted awake.

"PANKAKES!" Sun turned to Neptune.

"Shut up. Don't be a nerd." Neptune raised a hand defensively.

"Igigigi! Intellectual, okay? Thank you." He turned to us. "I'm Neptune." Weiss responded.

"So, Neptune. Where are you from?" He stepped over to her.

"Haven. And I don't believe I've caught your name, Snow Angel." She looked at him like he was the Messiah.

"Uhh, I'm Weiss." Suddenly, Maggie just stepped in between them.

"Good. It's a pleasure you two got to meet, I'm Maggie, by the way." Neptune took a step back, receiving the obvious warning to back off. I stepped forward and stood next to Maggie, pulling her back a little.

"Yeah, we've already met." Neptune nodded as I whispered at Maggie. "What was that?" She glared back at me.

"Something you don't need to worry about." I gave her a surprised look.

"Really, Maggie! You already marking your territory!" Her face started to turn red in anger.

"NO, It's not like that! Just step off, okay! You're stepping into something you can't understand!" We stared at each other for a second before I noticed everyone was looking at us. We both stepped as Maggie gave me a look that said, _Later_. I nodded and turned back to the others, noticing Blake was gone.

* * *

"Ugh! We should have never let the him play!" Yang was pissed as she walked into the RWBY dorm. Weiss, Ruby, and I close behind. Ruby laughed and pointed at her.

"You're just mad because the new guy beat you! See, if you had attacked when I told you, none of this would've happened!" The two sisters and I walked over to the side, but Weiss started for her bunk. When Blake noticed we had walked in, she started to leave, brushing past the Heiress. Just as she made it to the door, Weiss turned and spoke.

"Stop!" Blake's hand hovered over the handle of the door before coming back to her side. "Lately you've been quiet, antisocial, and moody." Yang spoke sarcastically.

"Uhh, have you met Blake?" I raised a hand in front of her silently. If Weiss was gonna speak up like this, then it was meant to be heard.

"Which I get, is kinda your thing, but you've been doing it more than usual. which quite frankly is unacceptable! You made a promise to me, to all of us, that you would let us know if something was wrong. So Blake Belladonna! What! Is! Wrong!" Weiss was balanced atop the chair from her desk, before she could fall, she stepped down, put the chair back, and was back where she was in a matter of seconds. Blake closed her eyes and started.

"I just, I don't understand how everyone can be so calm." Ruby stepped forward.

"You still thinking about Torchwick?" Blake responded with a little more energy.

"Torchwick, The White Fang, all of it! Something big is happening and no one is doing anything about it!" Yang stepped forward next.

"Ozpin told us not to worry. Between the Police and the Huntsman, I'm sure they can handle it." Blake exploded.

"Well, I'm not! They don't know the White Fang like I do!" She turned to me. "Like we do!" I stared at her for a second before I spoke, not breaking the line of sight.

"She's right. The White Fang will continue to gain followers, become powerful enough until they do something that they Police can't control." I then turned to them. "And we don't know when it's coming." The three others looked between themselves before Weiss raised her hands.

"Okay, between blowing up Night Clubs, stopping Thieves, and fighting for Freedom, I'm sure the four of you think you're all ready to go out and apprehend these Ne'er-do-ells." Ruby looked confused.

"Uhhh, who?" Weiss ignored her and continued.

"But let me once again be the voice of reason! We're students, we're not ready to handle this sort of situation." Ruby raised a hand.

"Well, yeah bu-" Weiss raised her voice.

"We're NOT ready!" Blake responded fiercely.

"And We never be ready! Our enemies aren't just going to sit around and wait for graduation day. Their out there, somewhere planning their next move and none of us know what it is, but it's coming! Whether we're ready or not!" There was silence from that for a minute before I stepped forward and put a hand on Weiss shoulder.

"Sometimes, The rules must be broken." She looked back at me for a moment, looking for something in my expression, before Ruby spoke up.

"Okay, all in favor of being the Hunters to single handedly bring down a corrupt organization conspiring against the kingdom of Vale. Say aye." Yang raised a fist.

"YES! I love it when you're feisty!" Weiss shrugged.

"Huh, I suppose it could be fun." Ruby looked back and murmured into her hood.

"None of you said aye." Blake smiled.

"Alright, then we're in this together." Ruby raised her hands, excited.

"Let's hatch a plan!" Yang smiled at her.

"Yeah!" Ruby then gasped, horrified.

"Huuuh, I left my boardgame in the library!" Weiss rubbed her temples.

"We're doomed." Ruby raced out of the room. Her teammates were just stunned, I chuckled and turned to them,turning back to a serious look.

"So, do you two really think this is a good idea?" I turned to Blake. "I mean, the two of us have been doing things like this for years. This is new ground for you two." Weiss and Yang looked at each other before Weiss responded.

"Of course. If I can't stop you dolts, then I might as well help." I nodded before turning to Yang.

"And you realize that Ruby may be in real danger on these missions?" She stared at me for a second before responding.

"Yes, but she's got us to protect her. She's not on her own." I nodded before turning to the door.

"Alright, well I'm going to bed, you coming Yang?" I could hear her yes as I opened the door to see Ruby waving down the hallway. I stuck my head out to see three exchange students walk away. A boy with grey-silver hair, a girl with long green hair, and a girl with long, raven black hair. I frowned at the last one. She was obviously the leader of the three, I could tell in the way she walked like she owned the world. I have only seen that in a couple of people. I turned to Ruby.

"Hey, Ruby. Who was that?" She smiled at me.

"Exchange Students from Haven. They seem nice." I nodded slowly. I've seen her before somewhere, but where?

"Hey, Zach. You there?" I looked up. Yang was waving her hand in front of my face. I smiled.

"Yeah, I'm good. Let's go to bed. I'm exhausted." She smiled and nodded as we walked back to the dorm.

**Alright, GuffeyManipulation here. Wanted to say that I'm still looking for a new title for the series, as well as a new summary. Also, I'm looking for new OC characters I can use. I've come up with a couple that I will add in the future, but the more the merrier! **


	20. Chapter 20: MONTY OUM, WE WILL MISS YOU!

**I want to just have a bit of serious talk for a moment. We have all been informed today, February 2nd 2015, that Monty Oum, A man at the age of 33, died. He had a severe Allergic Reaction and died in a Coma over the past couple of days. He fought hard against the impending odds, but it was not enough. I believe that he was too young to die. It wasn't his time, yet he has still taken upon the endless sleep. I would like a large amount of Respect for Monty and that his legacy will live on. I want people worldwide to know about the death of such a monumental man! They need to know the loss that has been brought upon them, even if they do not know it. That is why I am turning to you, the small group of Viewers for my Fanfic. Tell people of Monty's tale. Write short Fanfics just to put Monty's name all over this website, Tweet to everyone you know, message all your friends with the news. Tell Everybody. Inform them of the legend that they missed. Allow them to experience all that Monty Oum created, so that they may understand the dire situation that he was put in. Show them the glory that was Monty Oum!**

**YOU WILL BE MISSED!**


	21. Chapter 21: Painting the Town

The clock was ticking away. Professor Port has been bellowing at the classroom for the past hour, and everyone was itching to get out of here. I sat between Yang and Weiss, both of them staring at the clocks showing only a minute left of class. Jaune moved in on Weiss from the other side.

"So, Weiss. You know, I was thinking after this we could maybe go grab a bite to eat? And, ah, I got two tickets to that new Spruce Willis movie if you wanna make the trip to Vale. I hear it's awesome!" Weiss continued to ignore him."Aaaaaand maybe after that we could study together? I mean you're smart and I'm, well-" The bell rang as the clock struck 4:00. I stretched and watched Weiss stand up next to me. Jaune stood up, confused.

"Weiss, did you hear me?" She started to walk off.

"No, no, no, yes." Jaune out his head on the desk, newly defeated. Team RWBY walked out, Yang ruffling Jaune's hair on the way out. I stayed and waited for Jaune to finally get up, and walked out with him.

"You know, Weiss may not be the best of choices to date." He looked down.

"Yeah, you say that, but I get this feeling when I'm around her. Like I'm complete, ya know?" I nodded, smiling.

"Yeah, I totally understand. But still, all Weiss is gonna do is continue to shoot you down." He looked forward, with new confidence.

"No, I can't give up. She'll see me for me someday!" He turned to me. "I gotta go, Zach. I'll see you later." I nodded and he ran off. Once he was out of sight, I looked down, shaking my head. _She is gonna break his heart._ I shrugged and walked to the RWBY Dorm, where the Team was waiting for me. They looked at me as I walked in, already in casual clothing for Vale. I nodded to Ruby and she begun.

"Alright, guys. Today is the day! The Investigation begins!" Weiss shook her head.

"I'm glad we're taking this seriously." Yang shrugged happily.

"Hey, we've got a plan. That's moderately serious." I looked at her, confused.

"What plan?" Weiss frowned at me and shook her head. I put my hands up. "Nobody told me about a plan!" I looked at Ruby, who shrugged. Weiss scowled and started.

"Ruby and I will head to the CCT to check the Schnee Records for any other Dust Robberies or inconsistencies. See as I'm in the family, it shouldn't be a problem." All eyes turned to Blake as she said her part.

"The White Fang has regular Faction Meetings to hand out orders and recruit new members. If I can get in, I can hopefully find out what they're planning." We then looked at Yang as she said her part.

"I've got an old friend on the Shady side of town that typically knows everything going on in Vale, getting information out of him shouldn't be too hard." I then noticed the low cut shirt and jacket, showing a bit of bra. I put that together with a guy that knows everything and figured it out pretty quickly. I stepped towards her.

"I'll go with you. If you're getting anywhere near Junior, then I'm coming along. That guy's a sleazy good-for-nothing asshole." She looked at me with a confused look.

"How do you know Junior?" I shrugged.

"He used to be my Fence after my, uhhhh, leave of the Milos Family." She nodded, realizing what I was saying. Ruby nodded happily.

"Great, we'll meet up tonight near Yane to go over what we found. Let's do this!"

"Yeah!" We all turned to the window, where Sun was hanging upside down. We all took a step back before Yang yelled.

"Sun! How did you get up there?!" He shrugged in whatever way he could upside down.

"It's easy, I do it all the time." Weiss stepped forward angrily.

"You what?!" He smiled.

"I climb trees all the time!" He jumped into the Dorm as Weiss glared at him. "So, are we finally getting back at that Torchwick guy?" I pointed at myself and Team RWBY.

"We, are going to investigate the situation." He didn't follow, so Blake helped out.

"As a Team." Ruby put up her hands, honestly.

"Sorry, Sun. We don't want to get friends involved if we don't have to." Sun shrugged her off.

"Pheeew, that's dumb, you should always get friends involved! That's why I brought Neptune!" The girls looked at him blankly, before I curiously walked to the window and looked to the side, revealing Neptune standing on the edge of the building.

"Sup." I questioned him.

"How did you even get up here?" He shrugged.

"I have my ways." He then looked down nervously. "Seriously, though. Can I come in? We're, like, really high up right now."

* * *

Once we got Neptune inside, we all grouped together. Ruby started giving jobs.

"Alright, Sun, you can go with Blake. And Neptune, you can go with Yang and Zach, cause they'll need extra back-up. Everyone good?" I nodded.

"Sure, works for me." Weiss spoke up, though.

"Actually, Ruby. Why don't you go with Yang. After all, she is your sister!" Ruby looked at her confused.

"But, Weiss, who would go with you, then?" She was obviously brushing off the idea of Weiss going with Neptune.

"Well, I guess Neptune could come with me?" Neptune smiled at her, but Ruby just laughed.

"HAhahahaha. Naaaah." She walked out the door, dragging Weiss along behind her, and ignoring her complaints. We all looked at each other, confused. I turned to Blake.

"Did she just-?" She nodded.

"Yep."

"And she left-?"

"Yep." I smiled.

"Alright, works for me." I turned to Neptune. "You know how to fight, right?" He frowned back at me.

* * *

I ended up driving the Buick with Neptune. Yang said she preferred her Bike, and was ahead of us, showing the way to the Nightclub. It had been relatively quiet between Neptune and I in the car, but I decided to break the silence.

"So, what are your intentions?" He looked at me with a confused expression.

"What?" I sighed.

"Weiss. What are your intentions with her?" He looked at me, a little surprised.

"Why do you want to know?"

"I've sworn to protect two Teams at Beacon. Unluckily for you, Weiss is on one of those Teams." I gave a light glare at him. "Call me the protective father, but I need to know what you plan to do with her." He looked at me, still surprised, but starting to get the idea.

"I-I'm not sure. She's really smart, and beautiful. It's hard to find a girl like that anywhere. When I met Weiss, she was just…. Something else." He had started looking forward, a dreamy look in his eyes, before I snapped my fingers under his nose, causing him to jump.

"Look, you seem like a nice guy. Your pretty cool, so I'm gonna say this once. You hurt her in any way, and you can bet your ass that you'll never be seeing her again. Got it?" He nodded.

"Got it."

"Good." Yang turned into the alley that lead to the Nightclub that Junior ran. She stopped and took off her helmet, waving her hair around. Neptune and I got out of the car and walked over to her. She smiled at us.

"My friend's right in here." Neptune looked around. There was loud music playing from the door to one of the buildings.

"And where exactly is here?" I smiled and walked with Yang to the door.

"You'll see." I could hear the screams of the men as Yang and I walked in, arms interlocked. A couple of the men closed a large door in front of us, stopping our entrance. I turned to Yang.

"Ladies first." She smiled and stepped forward, punching the doors wide open. The men inside went flying. She stepped in seductively, raising her hands.

"Guess who's back!" I could hear the music playing on a loop from a scratched disc, the room filled with the same chorus. Suddenly, there were a dozen guns pointed at my girlfriends head. She noticed the weapons, and instead of hiding or attacking, she glared at the DJ, who actively turned off the skipping record. Neptune peeked around me and whispered.

"So, yeah. Could you define "friend" for me." I frowned at the men.

"Wait for it."

"Stop! Stop! Nobody shoot!"

"There you go." Junior pushed his way through the men, until he was standing in front of us, correcting his tie.

"Blondy, you're here. Why?" I stepped forward revealing myself from the doorway. He grimaced at my sight.

"Drifter. I never expected to see your face here again." I frowned at the man.

"I never planned to come back to this dump, too bad my friends need your help." He nodded, before Yang pulled him by the tie back to the bar. I followed close behind. Once there, he went behind the counter and fixed two drinks, one for Yang, one for me. Yang chugged her shot, but I left mine there. He stared at me.

"You still won't drink here, huh?" I continued to frown.

"All you've got here is cheap beer and bad wine." He squinted his eyes at me.

"You selling tonight?"

"We're actually looking for someone." Yang stopped her smile, and started business.

* * *

Junior slammed down another glass.

"I don't know." Yang crossed her arms.

"How can you not know?"

"I haven't talked to him. I haven't even seen him since the night he first came in here. He paid up front, I lent him my men, and none of them ever came back." Neptune came up from behind us and slammed his hand on the table.

"So where did they go?" He looked at him like he was an idiot.

"What kind of stupid question is that?! They never came back!" He turned to me. "Who is this guy?" I glared at him leaning forward on the table, tired of Juniors attempts to distract us.

"Don't worry about him. Worry about me. If I don't get what I want, well, you know what'll happen. And we don't want that do we?" He looked at me angrily.

"I already told you everything! Torchwick hired my boys, and I guess he wasn't happy with them. Which is something I can relate to!" He turned to the drunk group of guys of the stairs. Yang turned around.

"Come on, guys." I continued to stare at Junior, though.

"You guys go ahead. I'll meet you outside." Yang looked at me confused.

"What do you mean?" I held up a hand.

"Later. I just need to ask a couple other questions. I'll meet you guys outside in a minute." She stared at me for a second before nodding and walking out, Neptune close behind. I turned back to Junior. There was silence between us before I spoke.

"Whens the last time you heard the name Halcion?" He looked at me suspiciously.

"What do you want to know about? Dracos?" I shook my head.

"No, I want to know about Lukos." He frowned at me.

"Never heard of him." I slammed a fist on the bar angrily.

"GODDAMMIT JUNIOR!" I stared at him angrily before I lit a fist on fire and picked up a bottle of Vodka from behind the counter with the other, I put the two dangerously close together. His eyes widened in fear.

"What are you doing?!" I stared angrily at him.

"What do you know about Lukos Halcion?" He stared at me before folding.

"Last I heard of him was with a couple of my buddies in the White Fang. Say he's a high up assassin that was trained by the very best. He's one of the highest up leaders as well, even has his own little army of Assassins that help him with jobs. Won't say I haven't seen a couple of them in here before." I glared at him and put the flames closer to the bottle.

"Names?" He shook his head.

"They don't give them when asking for business. Just come in with a bunch of Lien and ask for information. They even where these long cloaks that cover up their whole body. That's all I know, I swear." I growled at him before slamming the bottle down on the bar and turned to leave the Nightclub. Before I leaved, I spoke without turning around.

"Oh, and the next time I see you sneaking peeks at my girlfriend's Rack, you're gonna lose an eye." I started for the door, leaving a befuddled Junior behind. As I walked outside, I composed myself as best I could as I saw Yang leaning against her bike, and Neptune idly tapping at his Scroll next to the car. Yang looked up when she saw me.

"Hey, what was that about?" I stared at her for a second.

"Lukos." She nodded without asking. Neptune looked at us confused, but before he could say anything, both Yang's my Scrolls went off. We quickly answered to see Blake running for her life.

"Everyone! If you can here me, we need back-" Sun cut in in the background.

"HEEEEEEELLLLLLLLP!" I frowned.

"That doesn't sound good." Sun started explaining.

"They got a robot, and it's big, and it's really big! That Torchwick guy is in it! Like it didn't eat him, he's controlling it or something!" Yang yelled into the screen, mounting her bike.

"Where are you guys?!" There was suddenly a loud noise as Blake and Sun ran by a nearby street, the Robot hot on their trail. Neptune looked at us.

"Think that was them?" I rolled my eyes and ran to my car.

"Yang, go ahead and take Neptune. Try to get some speed on them." She nodded as Neptune jumped on the back of her bike.

"Right!" She zoomed off as I started up my car and followed. I served between cars flying by as the robot knocked them aside. Yang and Neptune were a little ahead of me. Suddenly, Neptune pulled the gun off his back and pointed it at the robot. The barrel started to glow until it started shooting electrical pulses at the Machinery, EMPing some of the systems. Then, when the Robot barely slowed down, he spun the gun around to create a long weapon, a Trident. He jumped off the bike and slammed it into the back of the machine. Up ahead, I could see Blake and Sun stop on a couple of trucks, I sped forward and tried to catch up with the two of them. Suddenly, I heard a loud clap and two glowing figures ran from Sun and suicided at the Machine, blowing up on contact. I yelled from my car, only a couple feet from their trucks.

"JUMP IN! WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!" Sune ignored me and ran forward with his staff to attack. The Robot then flung Neptune off it's back and right into Sun, sending them both off the highway. I turned to Blake, who jumped on my car, sliding in the open window in the back. She looked back at the machine as it chased us. I looked at her through the rearview mirror.

"What the hell happened?!"

"Torchwick took the military robot to try and kill us!" I growled as Weiss jumped down from a highway a little in front of us. She stood true as we passed her, suddenly there was a White Flash, and when I turned around. The highway was covered in ice. I smiled as I watched Torchwick go sliding off the Highway.

"We need to get down there." I drifted the car to the side of the road and stopped it quickly. Blake jumped out and off the side of the Highway, I followed close behind. I ended up landing next t Team RWBY as they faced off with Torchwick.

**Hey, guys GuffeyManipulation Here! I'd like to start off with thanking SupportTheTeam! He was the first to send in a Character! I'm still accepting other OC's though! If you have any ideas, PM me. **


	22. Chapter 22: Robots and Fire

The Robot took a couple intimidating steps forward. I turned to look at Ruby, who was looking to me for instruction. I nodded at her and she turned back to the Robot. She yelled.

"Freezerburn!" Blake ran back, while uy just disappeared with a shot from her sniper. I turned to Yang. We looked at each other and nodded, jumping into the air. I heard the ground cover with ice from Weiss's glyph, as we slammed our fists into the ground, both lit with Fire. A thick mist covered the area around the Robot, obscuring it's vision. Then, red lights started coming out of it. The machine took a couple steps forward, looking for us as we raced around it, avoiding contact with the tracer lights. One suddenly hit Yang, who barely ran out of the shot, but Ruby ran forward, using the smoke as cover, to land a hit on the Robot's torso. Crescent Moon barely left a scratch. Ruby yelled again.

"Checkmate!" Weiss and Blake ran forward from behind her, landing multiple blows on the machine, aiming mainly for the legs. They took out all the tracer lights and started to back up, Blake requiring a glyph from Weiss. I flinched behind my pillar as the large foot barely missed my friend. Torchwick shot a dozen Rockets from the Robot, the two girls barely missing the explosions in their retreat. One finally hit Weiss, pushing her through the air until she straightened, and in a last ditch effort, placed a Glyph on the ground in front of the Machine. I ran forward as Blake passed me in her retreat and stood on the circle. I could feel the adrenaline pump throuhg my vains, increasing my Aura standards. Rockets started getting locked onto me and as they were closing in, I looked up, flaring my Aura, setting off a couple of the Rockets. I stood sturdy as I slammed a fist into the ground, sending off a wave of fire that detonated the others. Ruby ran past me with Blake next.

"Ladybug!" Ruby and Blake started scissoring through the robots legs, sending hits throughout the machinery. The machine started sending off electrical shocks, forcing the two up in the air. They, instead of retreating, used the momentum to slam into the robot, breaking one of the arms. The Machine flinched backwards, as Yang jumped on it's back. She started pummeling into the head of the machine, doing massive damage to the cockpit, where Torchwick was. Suddenly, the machine flew backwards, slamming through one pillar, and finally stopping on another. Yang, slammed into the cement with a loud thud. I started running for her. I couldn't let Torchwick kill Yang, I wouldn't let it happen. The machine started to turn around, and punched Yang as she fell, sending her straight through the pillar and to the ground. I saw red.

"TORCHWICK! YOU SON OF A BITCH!" I ran forward, flames dancing around me ferociously, and gripped onto the top of the Robot, pulling downwards. Through a huge surge of strength, I pulled the Robot far over my head and sailing behind me, far from Yang. the machine transformed and straightened out in mid air, landing on it's feet. I stood in front of Yang as she silently laid on the ground. I glared at the Machine, the fires not letting up.

"YOU AREN'T TOUCHING HER ANY MORE!" I held my arms out to mys sides, as if to protect her with my body, and that's exactly what I did. The Machine shot a dozen more missiles out of the back, all locked on me, but I stood still. I couldn't let them hit Yang. The Rockets were closing in when I heard a yell from Weiss, telling me to move, but I couldn't. The rockets hit dead on, letting off a huge explosion. I flew backwards through the air, landing on my back, 20 feet away from where I was before, a couple feet behind Yang. I started to get up, but couldn't. I was too tapped out of Aura. I'm surprised I even survived a blast that big. I fell back to the ground, only able to look up, my vision starting to hollow in on Yang getting up. I blacked out at the sight of Yang blocking a punch from the Robot, Fire coursing around her in a bright light.

* * *

_**Yang's POV**_

I just looked up to see Zach's body go sailing over my head. I was sent into more energy than I could imagine, anger consuming my thoughts, leaving me with Fire, bellowing around. I started to get up, one foot before the other until I was finally standing. Torchwick saw me as a broken girl, barely standing, but I am so much fucking more! The Machine threw a punch that I just raised my hands to block, leaving the robot at a standstill. I raised a fist and punched the Robot back a couple of feet, completely shattering the arm I hit. The machine just stepped forward, kicking me far back. I soared through the air, until I could hear Ruby's voice.

"Bumblebee!" I looked back at them as I saw Blakes boomerang heading straight for me. I caught it with one hand, pulling my back to them. I flipped and started running across the ground, attempting for a kick at the large machine. It just jumped out of Range, though, leaving me flying in a circle back. Suddenly, Ice started to appear on the machine I started flying in a circle, back to Torchwick as I let go of the ribbon. I was a comet flying towards the enemy as I prepared a punch. I was dead on this time, sending the machine shattering away, Torchwick tumbling across the ground. He stood up and looked around at the broken machinery.

"Just got this thing cleaned!" I just glared at the man, preparing Ember Celica for another punch. I shot a blast at the man, only for a small figure to raise an umbrella to block the shot. I glared at them as the new guy raised his weapon to reveal two new people. A girl with multi colored eyes, and a boy in a long green cloak. Torchwick smiled at their arrival and stepped forward.

"Ladies. Ice Queen. Always a pleasure." The boy glared at us before he noticed the still form of Zach a couple feet away. He grinned wildly at my boyfriend and took a step towards him, only for me to stand right in front of him, glaring down at the small boy. He looked up at me nonchalantly.

"Why must you stand in my way? I must kill that monster before it hurts any others." I glared at him and prepared my weapons in a fighting stance.

"You aren't touching him." He sighed and turned to see he was outnumbered, and started walking back to the others. He yelled to his accomplices.

"Alright, there's nothing I can do. Neo, send us home." She curtsied at him as I ran behind the boy. I punched him in the back of the head with enough force to kill an Elder Usra, but instead of going flying, he shattered, along with Torchwick and the other girl. I looked around, confused, until a large Bullhead flew off from nearby with the three criminals standing inside. I glared at them as they left, my eyes returning to their natural color. As soon as they were out of sight, I ran over to Zach.

* * *

_**Zach's POV**_

I looked around the black space around me, nothing to be found. I remember fighting Torchwick at the Highway, and then I was here. This black nothingness where I stood, alone. I called out into the air.

"Hello?! Is anyone in here?" Nobody responded to my call. I suddenly felt a tug at my brain, and an incredible drowsiness that sent me to sit on the floor. I held my head, trying not to fall asleep, but eventually I fell back and fell into the slumber.

* * *

I opened my eyes to see the face of a man. I stared up at him, confused. He stared back with interest before stepping back. I spoke quietly.

"Where am I?" The man responded without hesitation.

"The Infirmary at Beacon Academy. You were in an accident and your friends brought you in a couple of hours ago. You should be oka-."

"Is he awake?!" The man was pushed aside to reveal Yang standing behind him, still wearing her clothes from the fight. She ran forward and pulled me into a deep hug. I accepted it happily.

"Hey, Yang. Sorry about that, kinda passed out for a while." She didn't let up on the death hug, and was only stopped by the rest of her team pulling her off of me. When she was beside my bed, I got a look around. I was in a small hospital room with simple designs on everything. There were a couple of chairs, which Weiss and Blake sat back down in after the scuffle. Ruby and Yang remained standing. I rubbed my head and looked to the others.

"What happened?" Ruby responded quickly.

"You had an accident in Vale. Tripped and slammed your head walking down some stairs." I stared at her for a second, remembering that nobody was supposed to know about our investigation.

"Right. Okay." I turned to the man, who must be the doctor. "When can I get out of here?" He smiled.

"In a couple of minutes. I just need to check your Vitals again, and you're good to go!" I nodded as he did the simple check and sent us walking back to our rooms. The Team stood around me as we walked, Yang and Ruby on the right, Weiss and Blake on the left. I turned to them.

"So what happened at the Highway after I passed out?" Ruby responded.

"Yang destroyed the Robot. It was awesome!"

"So you guys got Torchwick?!" Blake responded.

"No, two people came and stopped us before we could take him in." Yang frowned angrily.

"One of them was a young boy who said he had to kill you. I almost got him before he could run away." I had stopped when she said that, they turned back to me. Weiss spoke.

"What is it?" I stared at Yang.

"That boy. Was he where a green cloak, long brown hair, Green eyes?" She nodded slowly.

"Yeah, that sounds about right." I continued to stare at her.

"You met Lukos Halcion." She looked surprised.

"Wait, that little kid was Lukos?" I nodded.

"Yes." I started walking again, the girls following behind. There was silence between us until we got to the dorms, where we stopped in front of our doors. I turned to the girls.

"Okay, we'll look over what we got tomorrow morning. For now, get your rest. You earned it." They smiled and headed into the RWBY dorm. Yang and I headed to my Dorm. When we got inside, Yang attacked me quickly with a kiss. It was hot and passionate, longley strung out until we had to come up for air. I looked into her eyes as we breathed.

"What was that for?" She smiled.

"Does there need to be a reason?" She then kissed me again, this one lasting even longer. Eventually, we made it to the bed, where we continued to make out. We were practically glued to each other, only able to take in each other. After a long while of this behavior, we started to drift to sleep, smiling as we fell into dreamless slumber.


	23. Chapter 23: The Meadow

I stood in the black abyss, looking around for any sight of life. I called out into the darkness.

"Is anyone here?! Why am I here?!" I looked around, searching for the answers. Suddenly, a light appeared behind me. I turned to see a couple of figures, dark in the white light that surrounds them. I stared at them, confused.

"Who are you?" One of the figures stepped forward, the shortest of the group. It continued to walk towards me, it's characteristics becoming more and more clear as it moved closer. After a couple of feet, I could tell it was a girl, a couple years younger than me. I then, noticed her long black hair. he came closer and closer until she stood right in front of me. She was completely illuminated. I was shocked as I saw a face that has been plastered onto the back of my eyes every time I close them. The face that has haunted me and brought me strength all at once. I saw the face of Sayo.

* * *

I sat forward, sweating violently. I panted, staring straight ahead, trying to process what I saw. Why did I dream of Sayo?

"Zach, you okay?" I turned to see Yang sitting up, blinking groggily as she woke up slowly. I stared at her for a second before lying back down in my bed.

"Yes, I'm fine." I looked at my bedside table to see the time. 4:38. I sighed as I turned my head back to Yang, who was still sitting up, staring at me.

"What's happened, Zach?" I stared back at her.

"Just a dream. I saw my sister." She nodded slowly, slinking back to lie down on the bed on her side, still watching me.

"What happened in the dream?" I looked at her for a second before I spoke.

"I was in complete darkness, nothing around me at all. Then, suddenly, there was a bright light and it showed the silhouettes of people. One of the silhouettes was my sister." I stared at her. "I think I'm going to visit Sayo's Grave in the morning, would you like to come along?" She smiled.

"Sure." I stared at her for a second.

"I think….. I think I going to invite the rest of Team RWBY as well." She stared back at me with an expression that showed confusion, and a little concern.

"Really? Are you sure you're ready?" I nodded.

"Yes, I've already told them about how she died, so what's the damage?" I smiled at her, settling back into the bed. I turned my head to Yang, who was still staring at me. She moved forward a little and gave me a light kiss before settling down to go back to sleep. I smiled at her before closing my eyes and falling asleep.

* * *

"Okay, everybody pile in." Team RWBY and myself were all standing outside The Buick down in Vale. I had recently gotten the car checked out and fixed up at a mechanic, and buddy of mine, Blaine. He fixed the car from the crash and even drove it back to the lot for me. I smiled at the old car as Ruby yelled out.

"SHOTGUN!" She sped into the car, landing in the passenger seat before any of us could move. I regained my senses and smiled.

"Alright, I guess Ruby gets shotgun." I turned to the three older girls. "You guys fine in the back?" Weiss nodded.

"Yes, it'll be fine." I smiled as we all piled into the car and set off. Ruby was bouncing in excitement in her seat. I glance at her.

"What are you all giddy about?" She smiled at me.

"I'm happy because you let us come with you!" Blake commented from the back.

"You aren't exactly the easiest person to connect with." I looked back at the road.

"Yeah, I guess it was a surprise for me, too when I decided to show you three my sisters grave." It was silent for the rest of the trip. Weiss was looking out her window, watching the buildings pass. Blake had brought a book with her, and was reading silently. Yang was tapping on her scroll, most likely playing one of the hundred games she has downloaded.

* * *

We arrived at the meadow in about fifteen minutes, traffic being relatively low. I parked the car in the same spot as last time. The familiarity of the place causing me to give a little smile. I looked at the girls to see them watching me.

"Well, let's go." We all opened our doors and got out, walking over to the edge of the meadow, flowers glistening everywhere, the trees still full of life. I looked over the opening heppily, before turning to look at the girls. They were all looking into the meadow with awe, even Yang who had already seen it. Ruby was smiling profusely.

"This place is Beautiful!" I smiled at her and ruffled her hair before turning and walking into the meadow. This place always made me feel better, it always gave me a sense of hope. Ruby ran out behind me and skipped through the flowers, happily picking a couple of the roses that she came across. Weiss was watching her behind me, following her movements, as if to be ready for an attack and to protect her leader. Blake stood on my right silently, Yang taking the left. I looked forward and kneeled next to the small headstone. I closed my eyes and put a hand on top of the gravestone. I let the memories of that night flow into me once again. I could hear the rustling of dead leaves. I could feel my sisters unmoving body in my hand. I could smell the dried blood of my mentor on my hands. I then, felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see not Yang, but Blake looking down at me. I smiled at her. These memories weren't as painful as they used to be. They didn't torture me like they did when I was alone. Now they were a reminder, a to protect the people I love. I turned back to the gravestone, staring at it. I just keeled there, watching it for a while, thinking about the past. I could feel the girls kneel and sit by me from time to time, showing their respect to Sayo, but the rest of the time, they were enjoying the meadow, the beautiful day. It was exactly what the place needed. The happiness and emotion that only people can provide.

* * *

I stood up slowly. We had been here for a couple of hours now, and I hadn't heard the delighted screams of Ruby in a while. I stretched my limbs, and turned around, expecting to find the Team bored in the car. They were, instead, all sitting behind me in a row. They were watching me as I stood up, and started to stand as well. I stared at them.

"How long have you guys been sitting behind me?" Weiss responded.

"About an hour." I raised my eyebrows.

"Why didn't you guys get me up?" Ruby smiled.

"We're here to support you. If that means waiting while you spend time with your sister, so be it." I stared at them, before smiling.

"Well, thank you." The girls all stood up. Weiss spoke first.

"Of course." I smiled at her before, putting a hand on her head as I passed her on my way back to the car. I turned my head back to them as they followed.

"You guys up for lunch?" I smiled as I heard laughter and happy cheers from the girls.

* * *

The flowers rustled as three people walked in the meadow. Zachary and Team RWBY had left only moments ago, and the leader had declared it safe to come out. The three People walked through the flowers, unfazed by the beauty of the place. they kept going until they arrived at the small headstone. The leader looked down at the Grave for a moment before the boy behind her spoke.

"Why did we follow those guys here, again?" The leader turned to the gray-haired boy.

"In order to defeat our enemies, we must take away what hope and power they have." Her fiery eyes looked around the meadow. "And if their leader's power lies in this place." She raised her right hand, a small fire appearing above it.

"Then we must take it away."

**Sorry about the short chapter, guys. Just wrote this to show a bit of Foreshadowing, a little bit of plot twists, and a whole lot of filler. I'm still accepting OC ideas, as well as ideas for a new title and summary. PM me for any or all of those requests.**


	24. Chapter 24: The Fire

Team RWBY and I sat around a table at a diner in Vale. The Waiter stopped by with our food.

"Alright, I've got a Quarter-pounder with Bacon." Yang raised her hand and the burger was passed to her. "A Personal Cheese Pizza." Blake nodded.

"That's me." The waiter put the plate in front of her.

"A Vegetarian Quesadilla, with Casou on the side." Weiss raised a hand and the plate was placed in front of her. "Milkshake and Cookies?" Ruby squealed.

"MINE!" The plate disappeared from the man's hand and reappeared in front of Ruby in the blink of an eye. The Waiter blinked for a second before I spoke.

"Sorry about that, Ruby's really fast and loves cookies." The Waiter looked at mae and shook his head.

"Not a problem, I'm guessing the Chili bowl is yours?" I nodded and the bowl of steaming chili was placed in front of my. "If you guess need anything, let me know." The man walked off and the Team dug in. We sat there for nearly an hour, chatting and eating. The food was really good here, and I knew the girls would love it. Finally, we all sat back in our seats, our empty plates sitting on the table. I sighed in happiness.

"Wow, that was delicious." There was grunts of aggreeance from the others as the Waiter passed by, stopping when he saw we were done.

"Oh, would you like any desserts?" I looked at the others, but they all just shook their heads, already full.

"No, but could we get the check?" The Waiter smiled back at me.

"Sure, I'll be back in a moment." The waiter left and came back a minute later with the check in hand. "Here you go, have a nice afternoon." He left without another word. Weiss started to go for her purse, but I stopped her hand.

"Nah, don't worry about it. Meal's on me." They all smiled at me. Yang spoke.

"Thanks, Zach!"

"It's nothing. I gotta repay you for waiting for me at the Meadow anyways." Ruby responded.

"Zach, we didn't mind. The Meadow was beautiful! I had a lot of fun!" I smiled at her. Just then, I heard a couple voices from the bar.

"Hey, Jack, turn the TV up, will you?" The large man behind the bar turned up the TV as a reporter was broadcasting over a forest.

"That's right, Ladies and Gentlemen. We're casting Live at extended Emerald Forest, just East of Vale, where a small Forest Fire had appeared." I turned to look at the TV, where it was showing a burnt part of the forest. There were Forest Ranger Trucks and Hunters scattered around the area around the fire, making sure it's stopped and safe. I looked closer at the forest, recognizing the area. My eyes widened in shock.

"We need to go. Now." The girls turned to me, confused. Weiss spoke, alarmed at my sudden fear.

"What? Why?" I quickly pulled some money out of my wallet and threw it on the counter.

"I'll explain in the car. Let's go." The girls quickly got their things together and ran to follow me out the door. I ran and got in the Buick, Team RWBY jumping in behind me. I got the car started and sped out of the Parking lot, straight into midday traffic. I got about 50 feet before I got caught up at a light, tons of cars in front of me. I anxiously tapped my hands on the steering wheel. Yang suddenly put her hand on my arm.

"Zach, what happened? Was it something about that Fire on the TV?" I looked at her frightened, before I unbuckled my seatbelt.

"You know the way to the Meadow, right?" She nodded, starting to understand my fear, but I didn't give her a chance to respond. "Good, switch seats with me. I'll meet you there." I quickly opened the door of my stationary car, Yang quickly taking the drivers seat. I could hear the Team call to me as I ran to the sidewalk, and kept going towards the edge of the city. I ran the entire way to the forest. I didn't stop for anything, sprinting through the trees in the Emerald Forest. Eventually, I came across a large group of Firefighters, Forest Rangers, and Hunters, just on the edge of a completely burnt up area of Forest. I came to a stop at the edge of the group, staring into the forest. That was when a Ranger finally noticed me.

"Hey, kid. You aren't supposed to be here!" I turned to stare at him, before turning to run to the burnt forest. I made it about halfway before a large Hunter caught me by the waist and held me off the ground.

"Whoa, there mister. What are you trying to do?" I glared at the man holding me up, but he didn't flinch.

"Put me down, or I will not hesitate to hurt you." The man stared at me for a second before bursting out laughing.

"Oh, come on, kid. Do you really think you could take a Hunter?" I continued to glare at him.

"Stop! Put the boy down!" I was abruptly dropped as the man turned to look at whoever gave the order. I looked past him to see Ozpin, walking towards us, his cane in hand. "What are you doing here, Zachary?" I looked at him, confused at the pain in his voice.

"I had to be here. I need to get into that burnt forest right now!" Ozpin stared at me, pain in his eyes.

"Alright." He turned and called out to the people watching us. "Let the boy through!" The men looked at each other skeptically before forming a path to the burnt forest. I smiled at Ozpin and ran through the people, straight into the blackened forest. I forged through the trees, running at top speed. It took a couple minutes, but I finally slowed down as I came across a familiar path, and a even more familiar clearing. I stared in horror at what I saw. The earth was black in soot, completely destroyed. Most of the trees had fallen from the fire, and the few that stood were burnt to a crisp. I started to slowly walk through the trees and out into the Meadow. The Flowers were all gone. The Trees, gone. The critters and wildlife, gone. All that was left was a destroyed field. I continued to walk until I came across a small stone, completely unrecognizable, considering the enormous amount of black soot that covered it. I dropped to my knees, completely broken. Who could do this to the Meadow? Nobody knew about it except me and Team RWBY. Who did this? I stared at the destroyed headstone, confused as to what I was supposed to do now. The very place I kept closest to my heart was gone, swept away in a surge of Fire. I felt tears fall down my cheeks and to the ground. I could feel them fall, but I couldn't register any pain from the crying. I couldn't think or comprehend anything. I just sat there, in the same place I kneeled not an hour before, and cried. A hand was felt on my shoulder and I jumped forward, turning around to see a Teenager standing in front of me. He had short red hair, and Amber eyes staring at me. He was wearing a long red Kimono that went down to his feet. He also had a long katana at his waist, a strange contraption on the hilt. I stared at the Teen through the tears.

"Who are you?" The boy stared at me.

"My name in Amber Pleasant. I live with my Mentor a couple miles from here. Who are you?" I stared at the strange boy.

"Zachary. Why are you here? Did you do this?" I started to get angry at the boy, but he kept his calm demeanor.

"No, I did not cause this destruction. I came only to witness for myself the damage to this peaceful Meadow I love so much." I stared at him, confused. The tears had stopped running down my face.

"What do you mean?" Amber took a step forward and placed a hand on the charred tombstone, looking at it sadly.

"I've been coming here for many years to pay my respects to the girl that resides in this grave. I have borrowed her Meadow on countless occasions to meditate and train." I stared at him.

"How do you know Sayo?" He shook his head.

"I never did, but I couldn't help but notice this Oasis's complete rejuvenation since the small pile of stones appeared in the middle of it. For years, I wondered what the stones meant as the flowers started sprouting, the trees becoming more and more alive. Then, one day, I came to the Meadow to find the stones replaced. Replaced with a Headstone." He stared at me interested. "'Sayo, a beloved sister, and my best friend.' Were you the one that brought the headstone here?" I nodded.

"Yes, I was also the one that buried my sister here 6 years ago." There was silence between us for a moment.

"I'm sorry for your loss." I stared at him, confused yet again.

"This was years ago, why would you apologize." He sat down next to the gravestone and stared at me.

"Because Death becomes no easier over time." I stared at him, taking in his words. After a moment, I walked over and sat on the other side of the Headstone. I stared at the destroyed stone before I spoke again.

"Sayo was a Milos Family member, as well as Myself. I left their residence years ago when she died at the hands of my uncle. She was always tried her hardest at whatever she did, but it never stopped her from helping out someone she loved. She would always look after our siblings and always had a happy expression, no matter the situation." The boy stared at the Grave as he learned about the girl that he had pondered about for years. I talked for a long time, just recounting every memory I had of her, telling him everything. When you meet a boy that lives in the middle of nowhere, you don't really think that word will get out because of him. He was patient and listened to every word. Eventually, I stopped, hearing rustling from the forest on the edge of the clearing. I turned to look.

"That must be my friends, would you like to meet them?" I turned my head back around to see Amber stood, looking out into the burnt forest.

"No, I must go." He turned and looked at me. "Thank you for telling me Sayo's Story, but having one person know of my Master and my own residence is bad enough, I can't risk more people." I started to get up.

"What?"

"Goodbye." He turned to run away, but stopped and came back to grasp my hand.

"Don't worry. You have inspired me. I will protect this area and bring it back as hard as I can, we will meet again." He then ran off towards the forest, but at the last second, he jumped in the air and wings sprouted from his back, taking him into the air just above the tree line. He was out of sight, in nearly an instant, and just as Team RWBY came stumbling into the clearing, followed by Professor Ozpin. I turned to look at them painfully, still sitting next to the broken grave. When they saw me, they ran over. Ruby sped faster than the others and tackled me in a hug.

"I'm so sorry, Zach! I'm so, so sorry!" I hugged her tightly, as the rest of her team came and hugged me as well. I started to tear up again as my friends tightly hugged me, showing their concern. After a moment, I heard Ozpin clear his throat behind the girls.

"Alright, guys. It's okay, I need to speak with Ozpin." The girl reluctantly let go of me, but continued to stay right by my side. I looked at Ozpin.

"Thank you for allowing me to come here." He stared back at me.

"Of course. There was a desperation in your eyes that showed how serious you were." I nodded.

"Yeah, I had to come here and see the damage."

"Would you mind telling me why you had to come to the starting place of a Forest Fire?" I stared at him, understanding what he was really asking me.

"I had to come visit my Sister's Grave. I had to make sure it was still intact." He continued to stare at me, not letting up his poker face.

"Is that what was here before?"

"Yes, I can imagine you already knew about it, so why are you acting dumb?" He didn't let up the stare.

"It's easier to understand people if you know what they are willing to tell you." We stared at each other for a moment longer, before he turned around and walked out of the clearing. I turned and faced the headstone again, my friends sitting around me. Yang spoke.

"How is it possible? This place was bustling with life earlier today and now it's a wasteland." There was silence that returned as an answer. I leaned forward and started wiping the soot off the grave. After a moment, of my scratching and wiping, Yang joined in to help, then Ruby, then Blake, and even Weiss, who couldn't stand getting her white clothes dirty. After about thirty minutes, the Stone was much cleaner than it was before, only dark patches of burnt stone covering a couple spots. I stared at the rock. That was when I noticed the new markings that were burnt into the stone, covered with ash before. I looked at the markings, confused, until I realized that they were written in a different language, one only known by Milos Family Members. I stared at the letters, reading them one by one, until I stood up slowly. The others had noticed the letters as well. Blake spoke.

"What do they mean?" I looked at her, angry at myself, my family, and my life.

"It means 'A Taste of What is to Come.'"

**Hey, guys, GuffeyManipulation here! I'd like to give a shout out to SupportTheTeam. His OC submission has made his first contact with our faithful protagonist. I'd like to, once again, thank you for submitting your OC. I'm still accepting other OCs from you guys, as well as new Title ideas, and new summary ideas. PM me if you got any of those.**


	25. Chapter 25: Rebound

I slowly opened my eyes. I stared at the ceiling for a moment before I turned my head to look at the clock. 8:38. I turned my head back to the ceiling, closing my eyes again. I sighed and sat up. Yang was silently sleeping beside me, unaware that I was awake. I looked around the room, soda cans scattered around the floor, a couple of take-out boxes on the bedside table. I looked down in shame before going through my weekend routine, the same for the last month. I threw a shirt on, my jeans still on from school yesterday, walked into the bathroom and washed my face. I looked up and stared into the reflection staring back at me. Sullen, tired eyes. Messed up hair from the nightmares that have haunted my sleep. Wrinkles of stress surrounding my eyes. I sighed once again and slid out to the kitchen, opening the fridge. I quickly picked up a water bottle, and started for the door.

"Going to the Meadow, again?" I stopped.

"Yeah, Yang. I am." There was silence between us. I could hear Yang take a couple of steps toward me.

"Zach, you've been going to your sisters grave every waking hour for the past month. The only thing you stay here for is School, and you're just as distant there." I stayed silent. She was completely right, every day after school, I would head out to the Meadow. I would stay there for hours just trying to bring it back to life, clear away the trees, plant new flowers, bring happiness to the newly destroyed forest. I haven't seen Amber at all since that day. I expected to see him again, considering the time I have been spending in the Meadow, but he has disappeared. I could feel Yang come closer to me, and hug me from behind.

"Zach, you're worrying us. You should talk to the Teams, spend the day with us today." I turned around and looked at her. I had barely talked to her since that day, and was surprised to see her looking nearly as beat up as me. I put a hand on her cheek.

"Are you alright?" She chuckled.

"Zach, it's not about me right now." I stared at her, expecting an answer. She sighed.

"Zach, you've disappeared in the last month. We barely see you and I'm afraid."

"Afraid of what?" I could see her eyes start to water.

"I-I'm afraid that you're going to run off to Oum know where!" She started to cry, the stress taking over. I just stood there, stunned. Eventually, I pulled her in for a hug, holding her tight, letting her know that I was here. After a minute, we made our way to the couch, where we just sat there, held in each others arms. I held her as I started to talk.

"Yang, I'm not going anywhere. I'm just going through a rough time right now, that's all."

"Then let us help you, stay here today. Be with the people that care about you." I stared ahead, processing her words, before I finally pulled away from the hug. I stared into her red, pleading eyes for a moment before I smiled and nodded.

"Okay, today is for you guys."

* * *

_**Amber's POV**_

I sat, meditating. The open air in front of me, the safety of home at my back. Even though meditating is to clear the mind, I can't help but let my mind wander. _Should I fulfill my promise to Sayo's Brother?_ I opened my eyes, staring out into the forest. Why would I think of such a thing? My master was very clear that I was not to have any contact with him again. I propped my head on my hand as I stared out into the forest, contemplating the thought. He also says that I should try to always do what's best for the people. Zachary's the people, so why wouldn't I help him? I started to stand and turn around, heading into my Masters bedroom. I pulled away the curtain to reveal the old man's room. A small area with a bed, a small table with a jar of water and a candle, giving off just enough light to illuminate the room. My master laid in his bed, his eyes closed. For months he has been weak, old age coming to take him. He has held on, though. He has held on to help me. I walked over and touched his frail arm, waking him from his sleep. His eyes slowly opened his eyes and focused them on me. He smiled and started to sit up, with my help.

"Good Morning, Amber." I smiled back.

"Good Morning, Master." He nodded and started to frown.

"What troubles you, my boy?" I stared at him. How did he know I was having conflicting thoughts?

"Nothing, you should drink, keep your strength." I pulled the jar from the table and put it in his hands, but he just weakly pushed it back into mine.

"What is troubling you?" I looked down and sighed. He was always looking out for me.

"It's that Milos boy I met a couple weeks back." The old man's face darkened. It's as if the room became darker as his emotion changed.

"I told you that he could only bring you trouble and death."

"He was mourning of his sister's grave. How could you know he was so evil?"

"I have known his kind before. Killers, all of them. The only innocent was that girl in the grave." I looked at him, confused.

"How do you know he's a killer? What do you mean that the girl is innocent?" He stared back at me.

"I just know. Milos is a devils name, one given to only the most corrupt and genuinely evil people. Those that bear their name are killers, assassins that have sought out and killed thousands." I looked at him in horror.

"He's an Assassin?! But he seemed so honest and kind!"

"Amber! I know these people's abilities are beyond any others! They can create webs that entrap their victims and bring them in for a merciless death!" I looked down in shame. My Master only raised his voice when he was trying to say that the conversation was over.

"Alright. Now drink." He stared at me, but accepted the water. The light in the room once again became brighter. When he had drunk a good amount, I took the jar and replaced it on the table, I was about to go out to get food, but my Master spoke again.

"Amber, my time has come." I turned around, horrified.

"Right now?!" He frowned.

"No, but definitely soon. I have a week at most." I stared at him with disbelief, he had been here for me since I was abandoned by my parents, raising me like his own child.

"You can't leave. Not yet." He had a grim expression.

"Amber, it's not my decision. We have been avoiding the inevitable for weeks now. It's my time, you must let nature run it's course." I stared at him, but nodded my head.

"Of course." I left the room without another word.

* * *

_**Zachary's POV**_

I walked out of my dorm at 10:30. Yang and I decided it wouldn't be a good idea if we woke up the Teams at 9 in the morning, so we went back to bed, Yang slept easily, but I laid in my bed, thinking. What was I supposed to say to the Teams? I haven't really spoken to any of them in a month. What will the think of me? Thoughts like these ran through my head as I stared at the ceiling. I was nervous to say the least, as I knocked on Team RWBY's door. After a minute of scuffling from the other side if the door, Blake opened it, obviously just woken up. When she saw my face, she stared in silence, until she moved to the side to let me in. I walked in to find Weiss sitting on her bed groggily waking up, and Ruby snoring loudly from her bunk. When Weiss looked up to see me, she smiled.

"Hey, Zach. How are you?" I returned the smile.

"Better than I've been in a while." She smiled and stood up, walking over to give me a hug. Once we separated, I looked at Ruby, who was still snoring away. I turned my head to the others.

"How is she still alseep? She's usually awake and moving by now." Weiss frowned.

"Shes been really tired lately, stressed about..." I nodded, understanding what she was saying. I put my hand on Ruby's arm and started to shake her awake.

"Hey, Ruby, Come on, you gotta get up." She growled and turned over away from me in her

sleep.

"Weiiiiiiss, ten more minutes."

"It's not Weiss, Ruby." She stiffened when she heard my voice. She slowly turned around and looked at me.

"Zach?"

"Hey, Ruby." There was silence between us before she smiled and lunges forward. Before I could think, Ruby was hanging on me, hugging me. I laughed and hugged her back.

"Excited to see me?"Her only response was a squeal of joy. Then I could feel the others all hug me as well, and I was in the middle of a group hug with Team RWBY.

* * *

_**Maggie's POV**_

I sat, scrolling through the files on my computer. I've gotten a lot of data from the past month or so, my drones getting footage from all over Beacon. Right now, I was looking through Drone 8's files. Ruby had asked me for a favor a couple weeks back. She asked if I could have a drone following Zach, to make sure he was okay. I had accepted quickly, it wouldn't be a problem sacrificing one drone. I was looking through the drone's footage at the burnt down forest that Zach always went to. I watched him as he cleared out the fallen trees and branches, cleaning away the ash that covered just about everything. I was watching him, when I saw a flash of something on the edge of the screen. I quickly stopped it and backed it up. After zooming in, I could see a figure watching Zach. After about 5 minutes of staring, he just disappeared. I shook my head and watched it again, but had the same result. The person was watching Zack, and then poof, it was gone. I frowned and backed it up again. This time, I sent it through in slow motion by one-fourth initial speed. This time, I could barely notice it just fly up and out of the cameras view. I stared at the screen, confused. I saved the file to my favorites file, and looked at the screen of one of my active drones. I could see Zach and the rest of his Teams walking towards my Dorm. I smiled and exited out of all my windows, turning off all the screens. I quickly got ready to leave, getting my bag with about 10 Drones inside. I opened my door, right as Zach was about to knock. He looked at me confused, his fist raised in the air to knock. I smiled and fist bumped his hand.

"Sup? It's good to see you back on your feet." He quickly recovered and smiled back.

"Yeah, it's good to be back. We're going into Vale and were wondering if you wanted to come along." I nodded.

"Sure, sounds good. Let's go. Wait lemme get something first." I looked up to the ceiling. "Drone 6, Drive Mode." They looked up, just in time to see my Drone turn off it's active camouflage and fall into my hand as a Flash Drive. Jaune whistled.

"Wow, that was pretty cool." I smiled.

"Yup, I made a new upgrade. Active Camo, turns invisible for an extended period of time." I shrugged as if it was nothing, which it was. I started walking for the door, Zach beside me, the others following close behind.

**Hey, Guys, GuffeyManipulation here. I'm still accepting OCs, I'm in need of at least one more. Looking for a new title idea, as well as a new summary idea. If you got anything, as always, PM me and we can figure something out.**


	26. Chapter 26: Extracurricular

I sat next to Team RWBY as we awaited Pyrrha's preparation for her match. Team CRDL was stood in the middle of the arena, talking. I leaned back in my seat.

"Pyrrha's gonna win." Weiss shook her head.

"Four against one. Team CRDL has a huge advantage."

"Yeah, that's what Pyrrha wants you to think." She turned her head to me.

"What do you mean?"

"Remember her Semblance?"

"Yeah, Polarity."

"Well, the more enemies she fights, the less likely that they'll notice their weapons getting moved around." She thought about it for a moment and nodded.

"Clever." I nodded as Pyrrha walked out of the locker rooms and into the Arena, brandishing her weapons.

* * *

Team CRDL laid in pain around Pyrrha's feet as she stood out of her combat position. Goodwitch walked into the arena, Scroll in hand.

"And that's the match." Cardinal, who was on his hands and knees, keeled over. "Well done, Ms. Nikos. You should have no problem qualifying for the tournament."

"Thank you, Professor."

"Alright, now I know that's a tough act to follow, but we have time for one more sparring match. Any volunteers?" I would've raised my hand at an opportunity like that, but I was still recovering from my Depression. It had only been a week, and an injury in a sparring match is not what I needed. I looked around to find no others raising their hands. Goodwitch noticed as well and volunteered someone.

"Ms. Belladonna." Blake pulled her head up and closed her book quickly. I leaned forward to see that she had just woken up from sleep. She's always so quiet that I didn't notice. Now that I think about it, she's been tired like this for a while now. "You've been rather Docile for the past few classes. Why don't you-"

"I'll do it." I turned around to see one of the new kids from Haven raising his hands. He had Grey everything, including his hair. I've seen him a couple of times, but not often. Goodwitch got a look at him.

"Mercury, is it? Let's find you an opponent."

"Actually, I wanna fight her." He pointed at Pyrrha, who was standing in the Arena. I growled under my breath. He said it in a way that said that he was used to getting what he wanted. I spoke.

"How about you choose someone that didn't just have a match. What? Scared of an even fight?" Pyrrha raised a hand.

"No, it's fine. I'd be happy to oblige." She was looking at me when she said that. I stared back at her, but sat back down in my seat. Mercury smiled happily as he stepped down into the Arena. He positioned himself across from Pyrrha, and got into a battle stance. The two of them stared at each other for a moment before Mercury ran forward. Pyrrha stepped forward just as he took a kick, and blocked it with her shield, going for a swipe at the legs. She got him airborne, but just as he hits the ground, his spinning himself back to his feet. When he was back to his feet, he awaited Pyrrha's attack, which came quickly. He kicked at her first attack, parrying her sword, and kicked at her round about, to stop her weapon once again. He started going for sidekicks, that Pyrrha blocked with her shield easily. Finally, Pyrrha slammed forward with her shield, sending him back. His boots sent sparks as he slid to a stop. I could hear Ruby beside me, but I was too focused on the match to look.

"Hey, your friend's doing pretty good!" I watched as Mercury took the offense with a power kick that sent Pyrrha back. He was now utilizing much more advanced combat styles than he was before, spinning and yet staying balanced midair. Pyrrha backed up, and went into a defensive position just as Mercury sent a barrage of attacks on her shield. After a final power hit, it sent her weapon flying up. Mercury went for a kick on her undefended side, for her to block, not with her shield, but her arm. She grabbed her sword out of the air and defended a couple more attacks from Mercury, only to have the weapon flying behind her and stuck in the ground. There was silence for a moment before Mercury went for a high kick….. That missed. He was sent back from the momentum from the kick, not expecting no fighting force. He turned just in time for Pyrrha to charge him with her shield. He jumped up and vaulted off her shield, flying back and landing. Pyrrha ran forward to attack, but Mercury just turned to Goodwitch.

"I forfeit." I was shocked for a moment, Pyrrha running past him to a stop. She turned back to him, confused. I got over my moment of surprise and slammed my fist on the railing between me and the arena.

"What is that bullshit?! You forfeit?! You challenge an opponent at a disadvantage, and then you forfeit?! Are you really that low?!" The Grey-haired kid looked up at me, smirking.

"Why bother fighting? She's leagues better than me." My fists were trembling in rage.

"And yet you still had the audacity to challenge her!" I only got a smirk from Mercury, which only made more angry. I was about to yell again, but Goodwitch cut me off.

"In that case, Pyrrha Nikos is the victor of the match. Next time you may want to think a little harder before choosing an opponent." I could tell in her tone that she completely agreed with me. Mercury only raised a hand as he left the stadium.

"I'll be sure to do that." I stared at him angrily as the bell went off, some of the students leaving the Arena. I felt Yang hold my arm, pulling me towards the door.

"Come on, we've got to go." I nodded.

"Yeah, go ahead, I'll catch up." She turned my head to look at her. I looked at her for a moment before speaking again. "Just need to compose myself, I'll meet you outside." She nodded and walked out with the others. I stared down into the Arena, trying to soothe my anger.

"Mr. Milos, class ended moments ago. Is there a reason for your hesitance to leave?" I didn't need to look to know that it was Goodwitch standing behind me. I responded, not bothering to look.

"No, not really, is it a problem?"

"No, I guess not. May I ask how your Teammates are doing?" I turned to look at her.

"They are doing fine, why do you ask?" She watched me for a moment before responding.

"I was just surprised to find this little experiment of Ozpin's so Fruitfully."

"What do you mean?" She watched me for a moment.

"Ozpin has many cards in play at the moment, and I am confused at more than a few of his actions, but in the end, he somehow comes out on top." She turned around, shrugging off any questions I might have. "Though, it is not my business. I will see you another time, Mr. Milos. Goodbye." Without another word, she walked off. I stared in her direction for a moment before jogging out the door to catch up with the others. I caught them just in time to see Sun and Blake talking, I overheard Sun first.

"The Dance, this weekend. You wanna go or what?" Blake's answer was instantaneous.

"I don't have time for a stupid dance. I thought you, of all people, would get that." She walked off, leaving Sun, rejected. I walked over and stood beside him.

"Ouch, sorry about that, man." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I knew it would be long shot, but hey, you gotta try, right?" I put a hand on his shoulder as I watched Blake walk off.

"Yeah, don't get too down about it. She'll come around." I walked towards Team RWBY as they followed Blake.

* * *

"You what?!" Blake and Yang were sitting on one bed. Ruby and Weiss were sitting on the bed across from them. I was leaning against the bed frame of Ruby and Weiss's Bunk. Ruby spoke.

"We want you to go to the Dance." Blake crossed her arms.

"That's ridiculous." Yang spoke next.

"Blake, we're worried about you. This investigation is starting to mess with your head." Weiss started counting off things on her fingers.

"You can't sleep, you hardly eat, and to be honest, your grades are suffering." Blake rebuddled.

"You think I care about grades?! People's lives are at Stake!" Yang put her hand on Blake's raised arm.

"We know, and we are still trying to figure out what Torchwick is up too." Ruby spoke.

"Thanks to you and Sun, we know they're operating somewhere outside of South-East Vale." Weiss raised a hand.

"And the Schnee Company Records has singled out Vale for the Primary Target for Dust Robberies over the last few months." Yang spoke next.

"Don't forget about their missing military tech, too." Blake still had her arms crossed. Ruby hesitantly tried to reason with her.

"Blake, you won't be able to find anything if you can't even keep your eyes open." I spoke next.

"All we're asking is that you take it easy for one day." She flared her eyes at me.

"How are you one to talk?! You "Took it easy" for a whole month! You left us to go to that stupid Meadow every day!" I frowned painfully. She hit a pretty huge weak spot. I stared at her blankly as she realized what she said. She opened her mouth to speak, but I raised a hand, cutting her off.

"Just don't. Look, I realize that I just left for a long time, and I am truly sorry for that. I opted out of this entire operation the second that spark lit. I am sorry, but there's nothing I can do about it now, but try to work for the future, so how about I cut you a deal." She looked at me curiously.

"What?" I took a step forward.

"If you agree to go to the Dance, have fun, take the night off. Then I will spend the next weekend, the night of the Dance, working nonstop on finding Torchwick. I'll work for you and me, so that you don't have to. I mean, the girls all planned out the Dance anyway, so I know it'll be fun!" Blake looked at her team.

"What?" Yang happily bounced in her seat.

"Yeah! We're planning the whole event!" Blake shook her head, an annoyed expression on her face.

"Excuse me?" Weiss spoke.

"Team CFVY's away mission lasted longer than expected." Yang shrugged.

"So Weiss and I were asked to pick up where they left off. And we can make sure you have the perfect night." Weiss spoke again.

"And once it's all over, we can return to our search, rested and ready." I looked at her.

"What do you think, I'll skip the Dance, so you can go." There was a moment of silence between us before she responded.

"I think this is a colossal waste of time." She stood up and headed for the door. "I'll be in the library." Yang sighed as I sat down in Blake's spot. Weiss spoke.

"She can't keep going like this." I opened my mouth to speak, but a knock at the door stopped me. Weiss went to open it. Right as she opened the door, Guitar music filled the room. I sighed in embarrassment for Jaune as he strummed away.

"WEEEIIIIIIIISSSS!" The door closed in his face. Weiss frowned anrgily as Jaune knocked again.

"Ohh, come on. Open the door. I promise not to sing." Weiss rolled her eyes and opened the door. Jaune strummed on the guitar, regardless of what he said.

"I LIIIIEEED. Weiss Schnee. Will you accompany me. Too the DAAAAAAAANCE OOOOOOON. Sundaaaaaay." There was a second of Silence as we all stared at Jaune.

"Are you done?"

"Yes?" Weiss didn't skip a beat.

"No." She closed the door in his face once again. We all stared at her like she was crazy, she put her hands up, annoyed. "What?!" Yang pointed at her.

"And that is why people call you the Ice Queen." Weiss crossed her arms again.

"All my life, boys have only cared about the perks of my last name. Besides, I already have a date in mind." Ruby jumped up quickly, staring at Weiss, before quickly composing herself again. What was that? She quickly left behind any remembrance of her sudden surprise, and started to talk.

"Date or no Date, none of this will matter if we can't get Blake to go." I looked at her sadly. I placed a reassuring arm on her shoulder before moving towards the door, I needed to get some air.

* * *

_**Amber's POV**_

"Master, you must drink your water, keep your energy." The old man has been getting worse and worse in the past week. Every time I come back in here, he seems to have aged another 10 years, and is more and more unwilling to eat and drink. Right now, he is very weak, unable to even lift his head from his bed. He speaks, but only barely audible.

"Amber, my boy, you must learn to let go." I held onto his arm. Tears started to form in my eyes.

"I don't want to let go. I want you to stay here with me."

"My my, Amber, one mustn't be so selfish. My time is for the next life." I shook my head.

"Why can't you stay? Why?" My Master did not respond. My eyes were shut tight. I was trying not to let the tears escape my eyes, but it was to little effect. I finally opened my eyes, letting the tears go rolling down my face. The light in the room was gone, the candle sitting fireless on the bedside table. I stared at the unlit wax, knowing what it meant, but not wanting to believe it. I shook my head, crying for hours, it felt like, but it could have only been minutes. When the tears finally ceased their descent down my cheeks, I got a shady, dark picture of My Master lying in bed, peaceful, in his never ending sleep.


	27. Chapter 27: Burning the Candle

"How are you doing that?!" I struggled under the weight of a huge Speaker, following Yang, who was carrying one easily on her shoulder. She placed hers on the ground and laughed at me.

"Oh, come on. Don't be a baby." I chuckled as I took the last few steps before placing it on the ground next to Yang's speaker. I stretched my sore limbs as Yang walked over to her sister, who was sitting quietly at one of the tables.

"So, have you picked out a dress yet?" Ruby turned to her sister, her head still on her arms.

"What's the point? Who cares about the Dance if Blake isn't going?" I walked over to them.

"She has a point. We're going through all this effort to make the Dance so great, but Blake isn't going to be around to see it." Yang rolled her eyes at me.

"Oh, don't worry. She's going." Yang turned to look at Weiss's progress, only to be shocked.

"WEISS?! I thought we agreed! No Doilies!" Weiss stomped over to her and put a finger in her face.

"If I don't get doilies, you don't get fog machines." The doors to the Gym opened to reveal Sun and Neptune. Neptune took a couple steps ahead of his friend.

"Your Dance is gonna have Fog Machines?" Weiss suddenly got a whole lot friendlier, stepping up to the Blue-haired boy.

"We were thinking about it." I could hear Ruby groan beside me. I looked at her, seeing her more depressed than before. I nudged her, but she only gave me a tired look before resuming her depressed stance. Sun suddenly appeared from behind Neptune.

"You ladies all excited for Dress Up?" Ruby grunted.

"Phew, Yeah right." Yang crossed her arms and smiled.

"Laugh all you want, I'll be turning heads tomorrow night." I looked at her.

"Not too many heads, I don't want to break any teeth tomorrow." She smiled and kissed me as Weiss spoke.

"What are you going to be wearing?" Sun responded first, pointing to his outfit.

"Uhhh, this?" Neptune put a hand in front of his face.

"Ignore him, for he knows not what he says." Sun pushed his way in front of his friend.

"Hey, I may have moved to Mistral, but I grew up in Vacuo. That's not exactly a shirt and tie kinda place." The girls a stared at him before I answered.

"Well, depending on whether or not Yang can get Blake to go, I might not be wearing anything to the Dance." Yang turned to me, confused.

"What? You're still doing that deal with Blake? I wanted to go to the Dance with you." I shrugged.

"I'm a man of my word. Plus the only way you're going to convince her to go, is if she knows that some progress is being done." She pouted quietly, but I just pulled her towards me and kissed her. When we separated, I spoke. "Hey, there's always next time." She smiled as Ruby mock gagged.

"Gross, keep it out of my presence, guys." I laughed as we backed a step away from each other. Ruby groaned suddenly.

"I still can't think of a way to change Blake's mind." Yang smirked devilishly and started for the door.

"Guys, trust me. Blake will be at the Dance tomorrow." She then left without another word. After a moment of silence between the group, I sighed, saying what everyone was thinking.

"I'm going to make sure she isn't threatening, Blackmailing, or Oum knows what else to Blake." The others nodded in agreeance as I followed my Girlfriend to the Library. I quietly followed Yang down a couple of hallways, making sure she didn't notice me. I made it all the way to the library, where she opened the door and entered. I took one step to follow, when Jaune popped out of nowhere in front of me. He grabbed my arm desperately.

"We need to talk." Suddenly I was being dragged to JNPR Dorm before I could say another word. I suddenly appeared next to Jaune on his bed, without even knowing what had happened. I shook my head for a second, trying to figure out how that just happened. I looked past Jaune to see Ren sitting on the other side of him, only in a towel. We looked at each other, confused for a second, until Jaune started to talk.

"Ren, Zach. I'm just gonna come out and say it. You two are some of my best friends. These past few months, I feel like we've really bonded. Even though you don't say much, and Zach is usually with Team RWBY. I mean, Ren, you're really quiet. To be perfectly honest, I don't know that much about either of you personally, but darn-it I consider you two to be the brothers I never had!" We took a second, waiting to see if he was done. Ren resoponded.

"And I you." It wasn't much, but it satisfied Jaune. He continued.

"Which is why I wanted to get your advice on… girls." I sighed.

"Girls?" Jaune continued.

"I just don't know how to…. Girls, I, uhhh, I guess what I'm asking is, umm, how did you and Nora…" Ren had been reaching for his spare clothes, but snapped his hand back when he heard that last part.

"I uhhhhh, ummm." Nora cleared her throat from her bed. She chuckled nervously, having taken off her headphones.

"We're not actually together together." Jaune raised a finger at her vicously.

"NORA I SAID HEADPHONES ON!" She quickly put the speakers back over her ears. I stood up.

"Look, Jaune. I honestly have somewhere to be, so can we get to the point. what is this all about?" He sighed.

"It's Weiss. I'm completely head over heels for her and she won't even give me a chance. She's cold, but she's also incredible. She's smart, graceful, and talented. I mean, have you heard her sing? I just wish she'd take me seriously, you know? I wish I could tell her how I feel without messing it all up." I stared at him for a second, trying to figure out something to say, but I was completely befuddled. Suddenly, I heard a voice behind me.

"Then, do it." We all turned to the door, where Pyrrha had just walked in. Jaune nervously spoke.

"Wh-what?" She took a couple steps forward.

"Tell her exactly what you just said. No ridiculous schemes, no pick up lines, just be honest." Jaune started to stutter.

"B-but what if I-"

"Jaune. You can't get it wrong if it's the truth." He looked down for a moment before smiling at her.

"You're right. Thanks, Pyrrha." He started for the door, waving back at us. "Good talk, guys." I nodded silently. The second he left, Pyrrha sulked over to her desk. We all stared at her, unsure at what to say. Nora was the first to speak.

"Practice what you preach, Pyrrha." I stared at her. How could she just let Jaune go to Weiss? I walked over to her. I stood behind her for a moment. Soon, she turned around, to see me standing right behind her.

"Pyrrha,since when have you been scared of a fight?" She looked at me confused.

"Wh-what?"

"You refuse to speak your mind and fight, and instead coast around the truth. I'm tired of seeing you watch that boy, hoping he'll notice you. You need to take action. Talk to him, make him realize what a fool he's being for ignoring you." I started for the door, leaving the shocked Team behind. I stopped at the door, turning my head back to the red haired girl.

"Because if you continue to wait, you're going to regret it." With that, I left the room, heading for the library.

* * *

I finally found the dou in one of the classrooms. I stopped at the door and watched them. Yang was sitting crosslegged on the desk, while Blake was pacing. Blake spoke first.

"Yang, if you're going to tell me to stop, you may as well just save your breath."

"I don't want you to stop, I want you to slow down."

"We don't have to luxury to slow down."

"It's not a luxury, it's a necessity." Blake turned on her partner.

"The necessity is stopping Torchwick!"

"And we're going to, but first you have to sit down and listen to what I have to say." Yang patted the desk in front of reluctantly sat down on the desk.

"Fine." Yang began her story.

"Ruby and I grew up in Patch, an Island just off the coast of Vale. Our parents are Huntsmen. Our dad taught at Signal, and our mom would take on missions around the kingdom. Her name was Summer Rose. And she was like, supermom. Baker of cookies and slayer of giant monsters. And then, one day she left for a mission and never came back. It was tough. Ruby was really torn up, but I think she was still too young to get what was really going on, you know? And my dad just kinda…. Shut down. It wasn't long before I learned why. Summer wasn't he first love he'd lost, she was the second. The first was my mom. He wouldn't tell me everything, but I learned that the two of them had been on a Team together with Summer and Qrow. And that she left me with him just after I was born. No one had seen her since." I was frowning at this point. Yang had a past almost as destroyed as mine was. How could she be so tough now? I heard Blake speak.

"Why did she leave you?" Yang sighed.

"That question. Why? I didn't know the answer, but I was determined to find out. It was all I thought about. I would ask everybody I could what they knew about her." Yang had picked up a piece of Chalk from the board and had started drawing. "Then, one day, I found something. What I thought was a clue that could lead me to answers, or maybe even my mother! I waited for dad to leave the house, put Ruby in a wagon and headed out. I must have walked for hours. I had cuts and bruises, and was totally exhausted, but I wasn't gonna let anything stop me. When we finally got there, I could barely stand, but I didn't care, I had made it. And then, I saw them. Those burning red eyes. There we were, a toddler asleep in the back of a wagon and a stupid girl too exhausted to even cry for help. We might as well have been served on a silver platter, but as luck would have it, our uncle showed up just in time. My stubbornness should have gotten us killed that night." Yang had stopped drawing and was just looking down at her feet. On the board was a large emblem that had a cog covered by a wing. Blake stood behind her partner.

"Yang, I'm sorry that happened to you, and I understand what you're trying to tell me, but this is different! I'm not a child, and this isn't just searching for answers, I just-"

"I told you, I'm not telling you to stop! I haven't. To this day, I still want to know what happened to my mother and why she left me, but I will never let that search control me. We're going to find the answers we're looking for, Blake, but if we destroy ourselves in the process, what good are we?"

"You don't understand! I'm the only one who can do this!" Yang swiveled around quickly, the red controlling her eyes.

"No you don't understand! If Roman Torchwick walked through that door what would you do?!"

"I'd fight him!"

"You'd lose!" Yang gave her a light shove into the desk, but it still sent her back easily. Blake recuperated pitifully.

"I can stop him!"

"You can't even stop me!" Yang gave her another shove that sent her into the table. Blake stood up again, expecting a fight from her partner as she took a couple steps forward. I came out of my cover. I couldn't let Yang beat up Blake, and yet as soon as I looked down there, I saw the two of them hugging. Yang spoke.

"I'm not asking you to stop. Just please, get some rest. Not just for you, but for the people you care about." Yang started for the door, where I was standing. She took a few steps, until both of them noticed me. They stared at me for a moment in silence. Then, Yang just continued to walk to the door. She turned back at Blake one last time, halfway up the stairs.

"And if you do come out tomorrow, I'll save you a dance." As she passed me, I walked out with her.


	28. Chapter 28: The Dance

"Wow…. you look stunning." Yang smirked at me as she walked out of the bathroom in her dress for the Dance. The Dance started in about 20 minutes, and we Yang was getting ready to leave. When she got out of the bathroom to see me in my Combat attire, leaning on the table with the rest of my gear in a bag, she was not happy.

"Why are you not in your tux?! The Dance starts in twenty, let's go!" I smiled.

"I already told you, I'm not going. I'm happy I got to see you in your dress, though." She frowned at me.

"You don't have to work tonight. I'm sure Blake'll be fine if you don't go." I shook my head.

"No, I follow through on my promises." She looked at me for a second before she smirked.

"Well, you don't know if she's going yet, and your promise was if she WENT then you'd work." I frowned.

"W-well, I-"

"Don't bother, I win. Go put your tux on, we're going in 10." I stared at her for a moment before chuckling.

"Well, you win. I'll go to make sure she arrives." She smiled as I walked into the bedroom, closing the door behind me.

* * *

I walked out ready to go. I walked into the kitchen to see Yang smiling profusely. I tugged on the cuffs of the suit and smirked at her.

"What? I told you I look good in a Tuxedo." She walked over to me, grabbed my suit and kissed me. When she separated, she spoke.

"Damn right, you do. Know let's go, It's about to start." I nodded and walked to the door. I stopped to bow at her, offering my arm.

"Milady?" She giggled and accepted the arm. We walked to the Dance, arms interlocked. We were the first to arrive, because Yang was hosting the event. I got to stand with her, watching all the students, one by one, walk through the doors and join the party. Eventually, almost the whole school was here, except a few stragglers, including Ruby, Blake, Sun, and, for some reason, Maggie. I looked to Yang.

"Didn't you say Ruby was gonna be here?" She nodded, watching the door. Then, a few minutes later, as if on cue, Ruby came stumbling through the door. Yang squealed in delight.

"Ohhhh, you look Beautiful!" Ruby was grunting at every step, obviously not used to wearing high heels.

"Can we have a serious talk about how Weiss fights in these?" She walked forward precariously, until she fell forward. Luckily, I caught her before she hit the ground, and righted her back on her feet.

"It can't be that hard?" She glared at me.

"You wanna try them on?" I laughed, but leaned back on the balls of my feet.

"Nah, keep them. They suit you." She smiled back at me before heading into the crowd, probably looking for Weiss. After a couple more minutes, none other than Blake walked through the doors, on the arm of Sun. I smiled at the couple.

"So, you decided to come." She nodded.

"Yes." She turned to Yang. "Thank you for…. You know." She happily smiled back.

"Not a problem, I'm just glad you came!" I took a couple steps toward the door, raising a hand to the others behind me.

"Well, I guess it's my time to head in. Have a good time, you guys." I headed out the door, leaving the three of them standing there. Blake turned to Yang with a confused expression.

"He knows he didn't have to go right?" Yang smiled at the door before answering.

"Yeah, but if he makes a promise, nothing's gonna stop him from going through with it."

* * *

I walked outside, only to run into Ozpin standing there.

"Hello, Zachary. Leaving the Dance so soon?" I nodded at him.

"Yeah, I'm feeling kinda tired, gonna head in for the night." He nodded, with an understanding expression.

"Yes, you do seem tired. Must have been a lot of work helping for this Event, even so soon after your recovery." I looked at him hesitantly.

"What do you mean?" He lowered his head, letting his eyes be seen easier above his glasses.

"Did you think I did not notice the month that you disappeared from campus everyday, leaving to tend to the Meadow?" I stared at him for a moment before shrugging.

"I assumed you had other things to think about, considering I didn't hear from you the whole time. Now, if you'll excuse me, I should probably head back to my Dorm." He nodded.

"Of course. I didn't mean to keep you." I brushed past him, leaving to get ready to head out.

* * *

I left my dorm, Combat gear back on, and the bag on my back with some more gear. I started for the door, but turned back to head to another dorm. After about a minute of walking, I was in front of Maggie's Dorm door. I knocked a couple times. After a couple seconds of silence, Maggie opened the door. She had her pajamas on, a headset mic, and a soda can in her hand.

"Sup, Zach. What brings you here?"

"Just wondering if you were going to the Dance, but the headset and the soda can pretty much answered my question." She looked down at the can in silence. "What's up?" She looked back up at me.

"N-nothing. I'm just not one for social events like that."

"Why?" She stared at me for a second before leaning on the door frame.

"It's nothing. I'm just not really accepted in that crowd, no biggie. I'm happy here with my TV and my video games." I frowned.

"Look, nobody's gonna care that you're gay. Go have fun, hang out, dance." She stared at me for a second before she noticed the bag and clothing.

"What about you? By the looks of it, you aren't ready for the dance floor either."

"I have some work to do. Look, I didn't just come here to say hi."

"Then what did you come for?"

"The Wasp that's been following me for the past month, mind taking it back?" She stood back on both feet, looking at me.

"How did you know?" I smiled and pointed up at a crook in the ceiling.

"Look up there. You can see the shimmering of the camo on the Drone." She stepped out and looked up where I was pointing.

"Command. Camo off." The wasp came shimmering into view right where I was pointing. She looked back at me with surprise.

"Well, I'll be damned. How long did you know it was watching you?"

"About 3 weeks. When you see it every day, it's hard to miss. What I want to know is, why did you have it follow me?" She stared at me for a moment before answering.

"I was asked to by Ruby." I chuckled.

"Yeah, sounds like her. Always looking out for me, even when she's not around." She smiled.

"She's definitely something else. Anyways, now that you know, I need to show you something." She backed into her room. I followed her to the screens. She quickly pulled open a couple files on her computer until she came up with a video of me at the Meadow. She started it up and pointed to the corner of the screen.

"Look right there. There's a guy watching you work." I looked down at the corner to see the guy as well, but then he vanished.

"What was that?" She replayed it slowly, showing him just go straight up with insane speed. I took a step back, realizing who it was.

"Oh, I know who that is. No reason to worry about that." She swiveled her chair to look at me.

"Who is it?"

"A boy I met in the woods. His name is Amber… You know, can I ask of a favor?" She nodded. "May I borrow one of your Drones?" She stared at me for a second.

"They won't listen to your commands." I nodded.

"Then can you have one follow me, and use it to censor where I'm going. An eye in the sky could actually help me out tonight. You up for it?" She looked at her screen, which showed an active killcam, but looked back at me and nodded.

"Yeah, sure. Give me a sec and I'll have one ready." She got up and walked to the Neon case, retrieving a single Drive. Once she got it programmed and ready to go, I had a Wasp sitting on my shoulder. She was sitting at her computer, the Wasps vision being shown on her screen.

"Alright, that should do it. Wait, one more thing." She walked to her desk and picked something out of the drawers. She turned just enough to throw it at me. I caught in one hand, when I looked down, it was a tiny headset. "It has a mic and headphone, so we can talk while you're gone. You know, you haven't even told me what we're doing yet." I smiled and headed for the door, fastening the tiny bluetooth headset to my ear.

"I'll let you know later. For now, I just need you to follow my lead." I closed the door behind me and spoke.

"Testing, testing." I heard Maggie's voice come through the other end.

"Yeah, yeah, it works." I smiled.

"Good." With that I set off to the Bullheads.

* * *

Throughout the ride in the Bullhead, I was telling Maggie about what Team RWBY and I have been doing to uncover the White Fang. She's been pretty easy about it all, and was happy to help us out where she could. I jogged over to the parking lot where my Buick was waiting. Maggie's voice came through the speaker.

"My Wasp won't come in the car. It'll follow above you." I got into the drivers seat, as the Wasp took flight and hovered a couple feet above the car.

"Alright, just follow my car, I know where we're going." I pulled out and headed out onto the road. Luckily, since it was so late out, there was practically no traffic. I made it to the Meadow in ten minutes, no problem. I slowed down and stopped efat the new place where the Rangers made an opening for me to park not far from the Burnt forest. Over the month, the forest has gotten barely any better. You can see tiny sprouts for trees here and there, and the ash has all been washed away from the rain, but other than that, it's the same burnt forest. When I left the car, the Wasp once again flew down and landed on my shoulder. Maggie's voice came through the headset.

"Is there a reason we're here?"

"Uhh, yeah. This is where we're going to find a friend of mine. I need you to go overhead and let me know what you find."

"Alright." The Wasp flew up and into the air until I couldn't even see it anymore. After about a minute, Maggie responded.

"Okay, I'm seeing about a mile's diameter of burnt forest, surrounding the clearing."

"Yeah, I know that. Do you see anybody else? Maybe a house or cottage or something?" After a couple seconds she responded.

"There's a small house about 1.5 miles east of you. It looks kind of like a Dojo."

"Bingo." I started jogging east. "Can you get some video of the Dojo, lemme know when you find anything." Not a minute later, my scroll went off. When I got it out and looked at it, it showed screen shots of the house from above and all the sides.

"Does that work?"

"Perfect, thanks." We were silent after that. The jog only took a couple of minutes and I was in front of the small building

* * *

_**Amber's POV**_

The house has been rather quiet since Master had passed away. I would train just as I used to everyday in silence, for the mourning of the dead. I would eat every night alone in the Sunroom, watching the forest for Grimm. I buried the old man a couple hours after he passed, outside where I had carved a Headstone for him myself. There was no engraings on it, just a simple stone to signify his place of burial. Right now, I sat in my Master's old room, trying to once again light the candle on his bedside table. Ever since he had died, the Candle has refused to light once again, no matter how many matches I wasted on it. I sat there, lighting match after match, holding it to the spick until it started to burn my fingers and I would put it out, bringing out another one. Then, I heard a noise, branches breaking outside and the sound of foot steps. I looked at the door and slowly stood up, hand on the handle of my sword. I, very slowly, walked to the door, being wary of how close the foot steps were getting. When I finally made it to the door, I slowly looked out of the opening, expecting to see a Beowulf standing in front of my home, but instead found a different surprise. The Milos boy was looking up at my house from below, examining the small home. When I saw him, I walked out of cover, my hand still on the handle of my sword, ready to pull it out.

"Hello, Zachary." The boy looked at me, noticing I was there.

"Hey, Amber." There was silence between the two of us for a moment before he shattered it. "I need your help." I narrowed my eyes at him. What was he trying to do?

"What do you need my help with?" He pulled out his small device and messed around with it for a moment before stepping towards me and holding it out to me. I cautiously stepped forward and accepted it, looking down at the screen. I had seen things like this, Scrolls, I think they were called. On the screen was a picture of a man with a bowler hat and a white suit. He had red hair that hung down in his eyes a little.

"Do you recognize that man?" I looked up at him.

"No, why do you ask?" I handed him back his Scroll as he responded.

"Just needed to know. He is a Crime Boss in Vale that has been leading the White Fang. You know about the White Fang?"

"Yes, there isn't a Faunus on the planet that hasn't heard of the White Fang."

"Faunus?" I nodded. I put my arms out at my sides and flexed my back muscles, releasing my wings from my shirt through the slits on my back. The Falcion wings stretched out at arm length reaching just to my fingertips.

"I'm a Falcion Faunus." He nodded.

"I can see that. Well it explains how you flew off when we first met. And how you always disappeared while you watched me at the Meadow." I took a step back, surprised.

"How did you know?" He put his finger to his ear.

"Hey, Maggie. Is there a speaker phone on this thing?" After a couple sounds from the other side, he took a small black device out of his ear and in his palm. A voice crackled out of the small earpiece.

"Hello, nice to meet you." I looked down at the device.

"Uhhh, hi?"

"Wait a sec and I can get a better view of you." I nodded. After a moment, a small black Wasp came floating down to land in Zach's hand. The little bug stared up at me.

"Hello, Amber. I'm Magenta Everdale." I looked down at the bug.

"Zachary, your friend is a bug." He laughed.

"No, this is a robot. It has a camera on it that broadcasts back to my school where Maggie is. She talking to us through this headset." He tapped the black device that made the voice. I nodded, barely understanding what he was saying.

"Alright, whatever." I stared at the boy. He stared back at me, confused.

"Okay, Amber. What's up? You were not like this when we first met." I stared at him, not sure what to say.

"My Master told me about you. He said that you were an Assassin that would kill me if I helped you. Is this true?" The boy stared back at me.

"May I speak with your Master?" I looked down.

"He passed away not long ago."

"I'm sorry for your loss." He nodded. After a second of silence, he spoke. "Well, then I'll tell you. I was trained to be an Assassin by the Milos Family, but I left them years ago. I never became an Assassin for their group, I've been working alone for 6 years."

"How do I know you are telling the truth?" The voice from the headset came out.

"He's telling the truth. If you won't believe him, then believe me." I stared down at the bug.

"And why should I trust you?" Zach spoke.

"I got it. May I come inside, I know what'll show you." I stared at him for a second, but nodded. I turned and walked into my home, Zach following close behind. When we got inside, I turned around to see him taking off his jacket, and then his shirt.

"Why are you stripping in my house?" He looked at me.

"No, it's not like that. I just have to show you something that's on my back." I stared at him as he took off his shirt and turned around. On his back was a small Tattoo that cover his top right. It had a series of symbols on it that had lines crossing randomly.

"Wait. I recognize those." Zach turned around.

"You do?" I nodded.

"Yes, My Master had a book full of those Symbols in it, give me just a moment." I walked back into my Master's Room and looked under his bed. There was the box. I pulled it out and rummaged through until I got to the bottom where there was a large handmade, leatherbound book. I looked at it for a moment before something happened that I hadn't expected. Light flooded through the dark room. I froze. _It's not possible._ I turned around slowly to see the candle that refused to light before, now bright with fire. I looked at the door to see Zachary standing there, staring at the flame as well. "How did you…?" He shrugged.

"I just walked in here and it lit." I stared at him. _Why did the candle respond to him?_ After a couple minutes, I slowly came out of my daze and walked past him, going to the Sunroom. I sat down at the low table and put the book atop it. Zachary sat down across from me. I looked at him.

"Take your shirt off and turn around, I want to find out what those Symols mean." He stared at me.

"I know what they mean. I could jus-"

"No, I will find out for myself." He did as he was told and turned around, taking off the shirt so I could see the Tattoo. I opened the book and started searching for the first symbol. I finally found near te middle of the book. I checked his back, and then back to the book to make sure.

"Courage." He spoke.

"I need to be courageous to move forward." I looked at the second symbol and found the match near the beginning of the book.

"Bravery." He spoke again.

"I need to be Brave to face the past." I searched for the last symbol. He was asserting an enormous amount of patience. It has been about an hour since I started searching the whole book and he has only moved when he spoke about the last two words. I went back to search for the last symbol. It took a long time, but I finally found the match.

"Integrity."

"I need Integrity to stay strong for the people around me." He turned around to look at me. "That is the code that I live by now. Courage, Bravey, Integrity. It's how I stray from my Family and become my own person." I watched him for a while before I nodded.

"Alright, I trust you. What do you need my help with?"

**Hey, Guys. GuffeyManipulation here. Wanted to say that I'm still lookking for more OC's for the story. I'm still looking for a new title that I could use, though I have been thinking about one I could use. If anybody has any ideas lemme know.**


	29. Chapter 29: The Dance part 2

_**Zachary's POV**_

"Alright, I trust you. What do you need my help with?" Hearing those words took all the weight off of my shoulders. I was hoping that he wouldn't run me through with that sword of his every second I had my back turned to him, but it looks like I betted on the right hand.

"I was hoping you would come back to Vale with me to find a Criminal." The boy stared at me. I didn't know what he would say in response.

"I can't imagine that I would be much help in the city. I've lived my whole life in the forest and have only heard stories about what life is like there." I shook my head.

"Look, my friends and I honestly need all the help we can get. Are you in or out?" He watched me for a moment, but before he could answer, Maggie spoke through the headset on the table.

"Amber, This man is hurting hundreds upon hundreds of people all the time, and it's only a matter of time that he attacks with a much larger force. We need your help to stop him." Amber stared at the wasp that was sitting on the table for a couple seconds before he nodded.

"Alright, I will come with you." I smiled and put a hand out to him.

"It's good to have you on the Team." He shook my hand and stood up.

* * *

"And that's about everything we've found out about Torchwick." I was driving Amber back to the city in the Buick while I explained everything to Amber. Maggie had left to return to her game, now that I didn't need her help, but had me keep the Headset, in case she needed to contact me. She also turned her Wasp to Drive mode from her end, and I had pocketed that s well. Amber hadn't spoken much since we had been in the car, mostly just looking out the window at the buildings only a couple miles away. I glanced at him as started passing signs saying we were entering Vale.

"Excited for your first time in civilization?" He frowned at me as I smiled at the road ahead.

"That's not funny. Believe it or not, this is actually pretty hard for me." I glanced at him again.

"You have nothing to worry about. Nobody will mess with us as long as you're with me. The only thing we really have to worry about is the White Fang. They've been prowling around The Slums of Vale during the night, trying to find new recruits. They have always left me alone, but they might dare to confront us now that I'm traveling with a Faunus." He shook his head.

"That will be fine. I can just fold my wings under my shirt like usual, and nobody will see them. I'll look like any other human. Even so, that's not what's making this harder for me."

"Then what is it?" He glanced at me before staring back at the buildings, now only a couple minutes away.

"I'm breaking every single rule My Master ever gave me by traveling with you."

"What do you mean?"

"My Master has always been a very kind man, and was lenient on many subjects, but leaving to Vale or any of the Kingdoms was not an option. Worst part was that he never gave me a real reason. The only things I knew about the Kingdoms was what he told me to teach me history. He told me about the Four Kingdoms, Safe Havens from the Grimm that have destroyed everything else. And even though they always sounded so great and safe in his stories, he always ended the lesson with a simple phrase that would stop my questions. "Man can hide from Monsters, but Man cannot hide from Man."" I stared at the road ahead. We were just about to cross into the city, but just before the line that starts the roads, I pulled over to the side of the path. I turned to Amber.

"I'm not going to force you to help me. If you do not want to enter the city, I will take you back to your home." He stared back at me, but shook his head.

"My Master said that Man cannot hide from Man, so my time of running is up." I nodded and crossed the city line. It wasn't long before we hit the city, passing through the buildings. Amber stared up at every building, taking in the new sights. I started with just some simple driving. Honestly, if I brought him into missions to help on his first day, all he would do is get himself killed. I needed to ease him into it. Today, we just travel the city, let him see the sights.

"Who are those people there?" I looked at where Amber was pointing to see a group of Homeless Faunus. I frowned and continued driving past them.

"That is, admittedly, a large portion of the Faunus population in Vale. Homeless people that are spat on by Humans. It's wrong and horrible, but there's nothing we can do. Anytime any human tries to speak up for the Faunus, bad things start to happen to them. Racists break down on them, calling them sympathizers for the White Fang. The only people that can be truly open with their thoughts are the Powerful and the Rich." Amber listened to every word, but continued to stare at every homeless camp we passed. After a while, we started heading towards Downtown Vale. There weren't as many dark alleys and homeless Faunus, and more bright stores and lights for the Vytal Festival coming up. I could see Amber starting to smile a little at the cheer of it all.

"Why is everything so bright here?" I smiled.

"The Vytal Festival is coming up, and is being celebrated in Vale this year. Everyone's excited for it. There's going to be a huge party about it in a couple months, but for now, everyone's just happy to be seeing all the new people arriving from the other Kingdoms. Many of the students from the other Combat schools are at Beacon right now." His face lit up when he heard that.

"I've heard of Beacon from My Master. He told me that Beacon was a huge and grand place full of learning." I smiled.

"Want to see it?" He turned to me happily.

"Yes!" I chuckled at his new enthusiasm and turned right, heading for the Ports.

* * *

We pulled up at the parking lot where I left my car usually and got out, walking over to the Ports where we could get a good view. Amber stared up at the huge academy with glee, taking in the enormous building.

"That is the most enormous building I have ever seen!"

"Yeah, I've lived there for half a year now, and I still am amazed every time I see it." He stared at the building until he noticed the lights coming from the Gym.

"What's going on up there?" I looked to where he was pointing and nodded.

"That, my friend, is where my Teammates, My friends, and My girlfriend are all having fun at the Annual Dance at Beacon." He looked at me like I was crazy.

"Why aren't you up there with them?" I turned to him.

"I made a promise to a friend that I would work tonight. That's why I got you and why we're getting you used to the city scene, so you'll be able to help out." He stared up at the building, as if thinking, before turning to me with a smile.

"What better way to adapt to society than attending a Dance?" I stared at him before backing away from the railing separating the sea between Beacon and us.

"I don't think you can handle that yet, I don't want to push you too hard." He shook his head.

"Your friends are waiting for you up there, I can handle a crowd. Let's go, I'm not changing my mind." I stared at him like he was crazy before I submitted, smiling at him.

"Fine, but we start real work next time." He nodded.

"Of course."

* * *

Amber and I stood outside the doors to the Gym, where inside we could hear formal music playing. We, luckily, had the same size clothes, and he was able to where the other suit that Yang wanted me to where to the Dance. He looked a little uncomfortable to be out of his robe, but he seemed to not want to complain, and has stuck it out to this point. I turned to him, smiling.

"You ready?" He looked back at me nervously.

"I could say the same for you." I laughed and opened the large doors, walking into the Dance, Amber following close behind. The second I walked through the doors, Yang was already smirking at me.

"So, you couldn't stay away?" I smiled and walked over to her.

"Couldn't miss it for the world." We got together and kissed for a second before I quickly separated, moving aside to reveal Amber. Yang eyed him for a second.

"Whose this?"

"Yang, this is Amber. Amber, this is my girlfriend, Yang." He nodded and bowed at Yang.

"It is a pleasure to meet you." She looked at me with a confused expression before looking back at Amber.

"Uhh, yeah you too." He seemed happy with that and straightened back up. I leaned in to whisper to Yang.

"Amber's here to help with the Investigation. He's not used to the city scene." She nodded in understanding.

"Ohhhh, okay. Good to know." I nodded, looking into the crowd. I looked around until I saw Ruby standing with Jaune at the Punch Bowl. I turned back to Amber.

"I'm gonna go talk to a couple of my friends, I'll be back later." I started to turn around before Amber caught my arm.

"What am I supposed to do?" I looked at him and shrugged.

"Mingle, dance…. What am I saying, just come with me." He nodded and followed me to Ruby.

"Hey, guys. What's up?" Ruby turned to look at me and smiled.

"You came back!" I walked over to her and ruffled her hair.

"Yeah, I got my work done, and had some extra time, so I decided to make the best of it." I turned to where Amber was standing behind me. "Guys, this is Amber Pleasant. Amber, this is Ruby and Jaune." Ruby waved while Jaune just put a hand out to shake his hand. Amber looked at it for a second before shaking it.

"Nice to meet you." I nodded.

"There you go. People don't usually bow in the city." Amber nodded.

"Noted." Ruby hesitantly spoke.

"Uhhhh, Zach?" I just shrugged.

"I'll explain later." I turned to look out into the crowd and saw Weiss playing with a flower vase, trying to get a limp flower stick up. I glanced over at Jaune.

"Things didn't work out with Weiss?" He nodded.

"Yeah, it's fine though. Neptune's pretty cool, I can see why she went with him." I nodded. I didn't know Neptune had asked Weiss. Ruby was confused though.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, come on. Not many people can pull off blue hair!"

"No, I mean, Weiss came to the Dance alone." She said that with a little more enthusiasm than I would think she should, but it was covered up by Jaune coughing on his drink.

"What?!"

"Yeah, she said she had too much to focus on to worry about boys." We all looked at Weiss as she failed to get the flower propped up, yet again, then we saw her look over at Neptune. We all looked over to see him with Sun and Blake, the three of them laughing at something Neptune was doing. It looked like he was mocking someone crying. Jaune growled and held his drink out to Ruby, who gladly accepted.

"Hold my punch!" He then stormed off towards the three of them. I turned to look at Weiss again as she tried to busy herself with whatever she could as a distraction. I sighed and looked at the others.

"Hey, I'm gonna go talk to Weiss, I'll be back. Amber, Ruby likes red. There, you guys have something in common, talk about it." With that, I walked off, leaving an annoyed Ruby and Amber behind. I walked over to Weiss. She noticed me walking over to her long before I got there and watched me approach.

"Hey, Weiss." She nodded back at me where she was sitting at the empty table.

"Hello, Zach." I sat down at the table with her.

"There a reason you're here alone?" She looked at me for a second before shaking her head.

"No, not really." I raised an eyebrow.

"So the fact that you, the Heiress of the Shnee Dust company, and Fairest of them all, coming to the Dance alone does not bug you?" She chuckled at my joke.

"The Fairest of them all would not have been alone." I stared off into the crowd, noticing Neptune wandering off to the balcony, where Jaune had followed Pyrrha to. I smiled back Weiss.

"The Fairest of them all isn't alone." She turned to look at me, but I didn't stop. "You realize that there are countless people around you right now that actually, honestly care about you. Yang, Blake, Ruby, Jaune, Pyrrha. Hell, even Ren probably cares for you!" She chuckled. "So instead of letting yourself get down about some guy, and instead think about the people that are still around you." She smiled at me.

"Thanks, Zach. I really needed that." I stood up.

"I better go, I have something I need to do." I headed over to the stairs that lead to the Balcony. I started up them, walking over to the open air. I walked through the doors leading outside to see Jaune leaning against the Railing, talking to Neptune.

"Just go talk to her. No Pick-up Lines. No Suave Moves. Just be yourself. I've heard that's the way to go."

"Yeah, but that's-"

"Hey! You don't have to look cool all the time! In all honesty, if you could look a little less cool, I'd really appreciate it." Neptune nodded.

"Yeah, okay."

"Go talk to her. I guarantee it'll make her night."

"Right, thanks." He stepped forward and raised a fist. "You're a really cool guy Jaune." He gladly bumped it.

"Don't lie to my face!" Neptune turned around to see me standing there. His face suddenly was full of fear from my glare. I took a couple steps forward towards him.

"Neptune, what did I say about hurting Weiss?" He started to stutter.

"I-I-I-"

"Zach, give him another chance." I looked past Neptune to see Jaune watching us. "Believe me when I say that he needs it." I stared at him for a moment before looking back at the frozen Neptune.

"You should really thank Jaune, Neptune. Cause if it wasn't for him, you would have been in a world of pain right now. Now get out of here and go to Weiss." He nodded and ran off. The second he left, I looked at Jaune.

"There a reason I should give him a second chance?" He stared back at me.

"Not really, but you know that having Neptune with her will make her happy." I continued to watch him before I nodded.

"Yeah, you're right, you're right."

"I better go, I've got one thing left to do." We walked back inside, Jaune leaving the Dance. I headed up to the nosebleed where Yang, Ruby, and Amber were watching everyone. I walked over and stood next to Yang. She spoke to the three of us.

"You know, I think we really needed this." Ruby smiled down at the crowd.

"Yeah, and you did a great job planning it, too!" She smiled and brought her sister into a headlock.

"Awww! Thanks! It wasn't all me, though. Weiss did a lot, too." Ruby stopped struggling when she heard that, and we all looked down at Weiss, who was sitting alone. we watched as Neptune walked over to her and sat down next to her.

"I don't know how I feel about that guy yet." Yang smiled and elbowed me.

"Be nice, Weiss has a crush on him, so even if he's a total ass, you're gonna have to put up with him." Ruby groaned in response. I turned to her.

"What's up, Ruby?" She looked at me before hiding whatever that was.

"Nothing, I'm just ready to get back to work." Yang sighed.

"Right, tomorrow, it's back to work." I laughed.

"With Amber helping out, I'm sure we can handle whatever get's thrown at us." Amber grunted in approval until we heard a bunch of laughter coming from below. We all looked down to see Jaune walking through the mass…. Wearing a dress. "Except for that." We watched as he talked to Pyrrha and then started dancing with her. Before long, Team JNPR was in a full out dance choreography in the middle of a group of students. I smiled at them as they had fun and put a hand out to Yang.

"Wanna dance?" She smiled and took the hand.

"Of course." I led her to the dance floor, where we danced with the others.

_**Amber's POV**_

As it turned out, I had a lot more in common with Ruby than I thought. When Zach ran off to do whatever he needed with his friends, that gave Ruby and I plenty of time to stand around a talk. There wasn't much said between us, but we agreed on several matters, like how standing outside and watching the early leavers is much better than staying in the middle of things. We just kinda stood at the doors, watching people start to slowly stream out of the Gym, but then I caught Ruby staring off at the buildings across the way. I looked at where she was squinting to see someone running atop the rooftops, heading for the tall building nearby. Ruby and I looked at each other before we started jogging towards the intruder.


	30. Chapter 30: Infiltration

_**Amber's POV**_

Ruby and I ran to where we saw the figure disappear, silently following the tracks. Eventually, we stopped in front of the tall building that the figure was running to. We looked around for a moment before I heard Ruby gasp. I turned around quickly, ready to strike, only to see her gaping at something in the bushes nearby. A body. I frowned and straightened back up from my combat stance, walking over to the body. I kneeled down next to it and checked his pulse. Low, but still beating. I turned around when I heard a large object fall from the sky, and I watched as Ruby pulled a large red Scythe out of the locker.

"The man is still alive, only unconscious." She nodded at me.

"Okay, good. Let's go inside." We walked side by side through the doors of the large building. passing more unconscious bodies as we made our way to the elavator.

"So what is this place?" She responded slowly, stepping over the bodies carefully.

"This is the CCT the communications tower that connects us to the other Kingdoms." I silently listened as we made our way to the elevator, calling down the car.

"Any idea who this person is?" Ruby shook her head.

"I'm not sure, maybe the White Fang?" I nodded, my hand kept on the handle of my sword. The doors clicked open and we found two bodies lying on the floor of the car. I sighed and checked their pulses, finding them only unconscious as well. The two of us stood in the Car awkwardly next to the bodies as it took us up to the communications room.

"Whoever it is, they don't want to kill anyone. Not a single dead guard yet, only unconscious." Ruby nodded silently. After a moment longer, the doors dinged open again and we got a sight of an empty room. We slowly exited the elevator, walking out of the small car and into the dark room only given light from the monitors. Ruby spoke into the room.

"Hello?" We continued to move forward until Ruby started to trip on her shoes again. I quickly caught her and straightened her back up for at least the 6th time this night. She smiled gratefully at me before looking back into the darkness. Ruby spoke again.

"Is anyone there? Hello?" Then, a person walked out from behind some of the computers to stand in front of us. It looked like a woman, but she was wearing a mask, and black clothing, so I couldn't identify anything else. Ruby spoke again.

"Excuse me? You know, it's not a masquerade party, so why don't you take off that-" She didn't finish the sentence as the intruder pulled out a dust container, condensing some in front of her, and quickly sending the shards at us. Luckily, I was able to slash through the dust with m, now drawn, sword. I looked to see Ruby fine as well, as she started taking shots at the woman. She only deflected each of the shots though. Then, with the final shot, she spun backwards, revealing two daggers conjured by dust. I didn't give her time to attack, though, and flew forward with unimaginable speed for a slice, only to have it blocked in between her blades. We struggled for a second, but she easily pushed my blade up, sending an opening for my stomach, but before she could strike, I flipped backwards, landing gracefully on my feet again. When I looked back up, the intruder had three arrows trained on the two of us, pulled from a bow that must have come from the daggers. She shot before we could react, sending us back in a fiery blast. I glared at her for a moment, before I heard the elevator open behind me. Ruby and I turned to see a tall man walk through the doors, but when I turned back around, the intruder had disappeared once again.

* * *

Ruby and I sat in two of the desk chairs while the man paced in front of us. After a couple words with Ruby, I had found out that he was a general of Atlas's army, The Altesian Military, and decided against defying his orders to stay put here. So I sat, and stared at him as he paced in front of us. He had told us that he had his guards around the tower right now, looking for the person that had infiltrated the CCT. All of a sudden, the doors of the elevator opened to reveal Zachary, still in his suit from the Dance, and flanked by two guards. He ignored them, though, and walked forward to the two of us, ignoring the General as he walked straight to Ruby and hugged her.

"What were you thinking going into danger alone! You should have warned one of your Teammates or me and we could have helped!" Ruby looked at Zach glumly as he pulled away from her.

"I wasn't alone. I had Amber for back-up." He looked over at me, as if just noticing my presence.

"Of course. Thank you, Amber." I nodded back at him. The General walked over to us before anything else could be said.

"Hello, Zachary. I see you ignored the direct orders from me to my soldiers that there were to be no civilians in the Tower at the time." One of the guards spoke from behind him.

"Uh, sir? The boy refused to listen to us, and laughed at our warnings for force. There was nothing we could do but escort him up here." The man sighed and looked at Zach.

"Of course, I shouldn't have expected to keep you away when you knew that one of your Teammates was in danger, but may I ask, who is this boy?" I looked at the man, about to tell him who I was, but Zach spoke before I could.

"No, you may not ask. His identity does not concern you in the slightest." The man glared at Zach.

"Seeing to the fact that he was caught in the middle of a possible terrorist attack against our Communications Tower, then I believe it does concern me." Zach rebuddled.

"I don't see how, all that's important is that he fought to defend the Tower. What? Does that make him a suspect for the case?"

"Zachary, please stop this nonsense." We all turned to see another man walk through the doors of the elevator, passing by the guards with ease. Zachary glared at the General for a moment before taking a step back and resigning.

"Alright, Ozpin."

"Good, I would like to see you three in my office, if you would please?" The way he said it made it sound a lot more like an order than a question. Zachary nodded.

"Okay, not a problem. We'll head up now."

"I'll meet you there momentarily." The three of us headed for the elevators, Ruby hitting the lobby button. Once the elevator doors closed, Zach turned to me.

"What do they know?" I shook my head.

"Nothing, neither of us said anything about me." He nodded.

"Good. If it comes up in Ozpin's office, you're a trainer I paid to help training with my Teams." I nodded silently. "Good."

* * *

The three of us silently stood next to Ozpin's desk, awaiting his arrival. We had been waiting a few minutes now, and he had finally walked through the doors. He closed the doors behind him and walked over to us, taking a seat at his desk, waving a hand for us to sit down in the three chairs in front of him.

"Please sit." The three of us sat down, Zachary in the middle, Ruby on his left, and me on his left. He looked at us for a moment before he started.

"I would first like to know what took place tonight?" Ruby responded.

"Amber and I were at the Dance when we saw someone running to the CCT, so we went to investigate. When we got there, we found knocked out guards everywhere. When we went up to the communications room, we found a woman in all black clothing, even a black mask. She didn't say anything, and used Fire Dust the was infused in her clothing in Combat." She stopped because Zach had clenched his fists on the arms of his chair. Ruby looked at him for a moment, but continued. "She ended up evading us and getting away." Ozpin nodded.

"Is that all?" Ruby nodded.

"Yep." Zachary then spoke.

"Professor is it at all possible that this intruder could be-"

"I don't know, Zachary." He responded quickly.

"But it's possible, right?! They could be here, at this school!" Ozpin responded quietly.

"Zachary."

"I mean, she used Fire in Combat. She was able to evade two advanced fighters.

"Zachary."

"What?!" Ozpin stared back at him, responding slowly.

"Every guard that got in her way was found knocked out. There was not a single casualty." He was silent after that, relaxing back in his chair. After a moment of silence between the three of us, Ozpin then turned to me.

"I would also like to know why Zachary left the Dance so early, and claiming to be heading for bed, and yet returning not two hours later with an ally such as yourself. I know you aren't a student at my school." He was staring at me with interested eyes, that did not match the poker face he held as well. I was going to speak, but Zachary answered for me.

"This is Amber Pleasant. I couldn't sleep when I went back to my Dorm, so I decided to get something I was supposed get done last week with my time. This is the new tutor that I hired to train my Teams more effectively for Combat. Strictly from my personal resources, and completely not school related." Ozpin stared back with interest.

"A teacher the same age as his students?" He turned to me. "You must be a very talented fighter to be teaching combat to students at a Hunter's Academy." Zachary was about to respond for me again, but Ozpin raised his hand. "No, I would like to hear his piece."Zachary closed his mouth and turned to me. I glanced at him, but returned my stare at Ozpin.

"I was raised outside of Vale. I learned how to fight from my mentor, and incredible Sensei and warrior. I lived out there with him until not long ago."

"What happened?" I leaned forward to see Ruby on the edge of her seat as well, watching me.

"He passed away. I live out in the woods by myself now. I decided to take this job to pass my secrets down to others that can learn, and to Hunters, no less." Ozpin nodded.

"You live out in the woods? Isn't that going to make it complicated for training students that live on a cliff on the other side of Vale?"

"I can manage."

"I can offer another solution." I stared back at him. What was he talking about?

"What do you mean?" He lowered his glasses so that he could look me in the eyes.

"I mean that I could find a place for you in the Dorms here. If you are as talented a fighter as you say you are, then the world could use a hunter like you. You say that you learned from your master, but at Beacon, there is so much more knowledge you can learn. What do you say? Would like to come to my school and become a Hunter?" I was shocked to say the least. I didn't think I would ever find a life in the city so appealing, but now I was starting to rethink my old motives. I looked at Zach and Ruby to find their jaws open in shock staring at Ozpin, I turned back to him, finding my friends of no use.

"I-I would like to come to school here." He smiled at me.

"Excellent, I will work out your new schedule and Dorm situation tomorrow. For tonight, though-" He turned to Zach. "Would you be willing to have Amber stay with you for a night?" He nodded.

"Sure, won't be a problem." He smiled at the three of us.

"Alright, you are free to go. I'll contact you tomorrow, Amber. And Welcome to Beacon." The three of us quickly said goodbye and headed for the elevator, silently lining up inside as it took us down to the ground level. After a minute, Zach turned to me.

"I didn't expect this to happen. Are you sure you can handle going to school everyday?" I nodded.

"Yes, and If I'm to help you with the Investigation, then being here is the best idea anyway." Ruby smiled.

"Well, I'm happy you're staying. We can give you the tour tomorrow." I nodded happily.

"Yeah, I'd like that."

* * *

Zach opened the door to his Dorm, my following close behind as he walked in. I walked through the door to find myself in a medium sized apartment, that was suited very well as a dorm. Zach turned to me as he walked into the living room.

"I don't have an extra bed, and Yang and I sleep in the bedroom, do you mind sleeping on the couch?"

"Yang and I?"

"Yeah, I live here, too." I turned around to see Yang leaning against the arch that separated the kitchen and the living room. "I didn't know we would be having visitors." Zach rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, neither did I until Ozpin said I should." Yang raised an eyebrow at him, so he continued. "Oh yeah, Amber is your new classmate for the rest of the year." She looked at me in shock.

"You're gonna be a student at Beacon?" I nodded as Zach spoke.

"Not only that, but technically, he's your new tutor." She glared at him, but he raised his hands innocently. "I'm not kidding. It was the best lie I could think of. According to the school, Amber's Team RWBY and JNPR's new Combat Tutor." I finally spoke.

"But, I'm really here to help find Torchwick." She nodded, taking all this in.

"Well, alright. Welcome to Beacon, blah, blah, blah. I'll get the extra blankets for you." She left for the bedroom and returned with a bundle of blankets and pillows in her arms, putting them on the couch. "Here you go, if you need anything let us know." I smiled.

"Thank you, but I'll be fine." She nodded and headed back into the bedroom. Zach quickly followed, and I was left alone in the living room. After a moment of getting everything situated, I was lying on the couch, falling asleep after such a crazy day.

**Hey, guys. GuffeyManipulation here. Just telling everyone, even though you must already know, that I have changed the Title for this Fanfic to Courage, Bravery, Integrity. Anyone that has been reading the story will understand what it means, those who haven't read the story should. Anyways, I'd also like to say that I'm still looking for a couple more OCs. If nobody responds to this last call, then I'm gonna use a couple that I've been thinking about for a while. Thanks for reading the story, and peace!**


	31. Chapter 31: Field Trip

_**Zachary's POV**_

I stood, once again, in the dark abyss. I looked around for a moment in silence before calling out.

"Hello?" There was a second of silence before the light appeared behind me in response. I turned to the light, now seeing my Sayo more clearly in the line of figures, standing in the middle. I spoke to the unmoving people.

"Last time I came here, my sister came from your anonymous group. I must ask who shall walk forward this time?" The four figures standing there gave no response. They only stood there and stared at me, until finally, one of them stepped forward. The tallest of the four by far, continued to walk towards me. Much like last time, the person's features started becoming more and more clear as it walked towards me. I first noticed that it was a man, tall and strong. As he came closer, I saw the light stubble on his face and the windblown back hair style. I started to frown as I started realizing who it was. As he came closer, I felt the room get much hotter, but that couldn't be possible. I'm not affected by heat. He continued walking until he stood not a yard in front of me, completely clear in view. The man was my Uncle, the one that trained me and killed my sister alike. The very man that I also murdered in cold blood. He stared down at me. I felt something I hadn't felt in a long time. The feeling to hide, to run from this man, but I couldn't. My feet were glued in place. All I could do is look up at the man as he watched my in silence.

* * *

I opened my eyes in a sweat. I stared up at the ceiling, panting from the stress on my mind. I thought a thousand things at once, and yet I couldn't comprehend any of them. All I could do was stare up at the ceiling mindlessly. Eventually, I turned my head to see Yang still fast asleep. I turned to look at the clock. 5:19. The sun will be rising soon. I looked back up at the ceiling, trying not to think too hard about what had just transpired in my mind, yet the thoughts continued to return to my mind. There was nothing I could do, until I sat up and got out of bed. I quickly threw on some clothes, just some workout pants and a sweatshirt, and quietly opened the door of my room. I slowly got on the other side of the door, closing it behind me. I started walking to the kitchen until I remembered that Amber was in the room, asleep. I started creeping to the door, being careful not to step on any loose floorboards, until I finally made it to the kitchen. I quietly pulled out a paper towel from the roll and a pen that was sitting on the counter and wrote something down, placing it on the kitchen table. After that, I slowly made it out of my apartment without being caught. Once the door was closed behind me, I sighed in relief and started for the door of the Dorm building. Once outside, I just started running. I ran for a minute or so until I slowed it down to a jog. Not having any place to be jogging in particular, especially at the crack of dawn, I just let my legs take me where they wanted. I silently jogged for who knows how long, considering I wasn't tracking time, until I found myself standing on the ledge that we had the initiation. I looked out into the forest for a moment. Just off the horizon, if I had binoculars, I could see the scar that was left from the fire at the Meadow. If you traveled another ten miles in that direction, you'd come across the Milos Family Mansion. I scowled at the thought, bringing me back to my dream. _What does Uncle have to do with anything?_ I plopped down in the grass, staring off at the seemingly endless greenery.

"Beautiful view, huh?" I recognized the voice, so there wasn't much point of turning around.

"Yeah, how'd you find me?" Ruby sat down next to me.

"I woke up to get some water and saw you running from my window." I nodded. There was silence between us for a couple minutes as we stared off the cliff. I was afraid to look at her, thinking that if she saw my eyes, then she would see my worry.

"I think I know what I need to do."

"What's that?" I hesitated.

"I need to go back to my Family. Find out why they came here."

"Zach. We don't know if it was them. It could always be the White Fang." I shook my head.

"No, it doesn't add up. You saw what was on Sayo's Grave that day. 'A Taste of What is to Come.' Then, we find a Fire Dust user infiltrating the CCT, and succeeding with optimal Military presence in the area? It was them, I'm sure of it. The only question is why." There was silence between us for a couple minutes before Ruby spoke.

"You'll be killed."

"We don't know that."

"Do we?" I was silent. There was no way of guaranteeing that If I walked on their front lawn, that I wouldn't be shot on sight.

"I need to know why. This isn't about the CCT, or the Military, or even Beacon. This is because I want to know why they're all of a sudden interested in my territory."

"Knowing isn't worth your life." I was silent again. The sun had long since risen and was now hanging low in the sky. I spoke again.

"Ruby, I have to go." She shook her head.

"You can't." I looked at her, now a little frustrated.

"Why not? This is my decision to make!" She stared back, just as vicious.

"You're making the wrong one! If you go off on a suicide mission, do you think any of us are just going to sit by and watch?! No! If you leave, then we're coming with you!" I glared at her. I knew she was right. Yang wasn't just going to let me leave. I looked back out at the green again, slowly letting my frustrations slip away.

"Ruby, something is telling me to go there. I know something's going on, but I don't know what it is. I'm going, Ruby. I can wait and I can delay, but just not knowing isn't an option. End of conversation." Ruby shook her head at the forest, but didn't say anything else.

* * *

_**Amber's POV**_

Ruby and I waited in silence as the elevator took us up to the Headmaster's office. I had been awoken today when Ruby came into Zach's dorm, stating that Ozpin wanted to see us. It only took a moment to get myself situated and ready to go. The doors finally opened to the top floor. Ruby had "accidentally" hit every button on the board, making us stop on every floor. We walked into a conversation between Ozpin, Goodwitch, and Ironwood. Ruby quickly put on the innocent girl voice.

"Sorry it took so long. Someone accidentally hit all the buttons on the elevator on the way up here. It wasn't me." I was silent as we walked towards them. Ozpin spoke from behind his desk.

"Thank you for coming, Ruby, Amber. How are you two feeling?"

"Okay, I guess. I'd feel better if my bad guy catching record wasn't 0 for 3." Ruby said. She earned silent stares from the adults. "Okay, so that's the tone we're going for, got it." Ozpin looked at me.

"And you Amber?"

"Overwhelming. That's the best way I could put it for now." He nodded.

"An attack of such caliber can be rather disorienting." Ironwood stepped towards us.

"Ruby, Amber. I feel it's appropriate to let you two know that I think what you kids did last night was exactly what being a Hunter is all about. You recognized a threat, you took action, and you did the very best you could." Ruby responded.

"Thank you, sir." He looked at me, obviously expecting a response, but I only provided a quiet stare. He quickly got over his misconception as Ozpin spoke.

"Now, the General here has already informed us of the events that transpired last night, but now that you've rested, we were wondering if you had anything else to add?" Goodwitch started asking questions.

"Was anyone else with her? Did she look familiar to either of you?" I shook my head.

"No, she wore a mask and didn't speak a word during the entire encounter." Ruby spoke next.

"We know she fought with glass, but I don't think that was her Semblance. Her clothing lit up whenever she attacked." Goodwitch started talking.

"Save for the glass. That sounds like the woman I fought the night we met Ruby and Zachary." Ironwood spoke.

"Embedding dust into clothing is an age old technique. It could have been anyone." I spoke up.

"Wait, you think this girl's connected to Torchwick and the White Fang?" The adults looked at each other, obviously having forgotten that we were standing there. Ozpin pulled at his chin.

"It's possible, but we still lack the required evidence to link the two together." Ruby shuffled on her feet before speaking.

"Is the Milos Syndicate another suspect?" Ozpin raised his eyebrows at Ruby. Ironwood spoke.

"What do you know of the Milos Syndicate?" She started to stammer.

"I-I d-don't know anything about them." She was going to continue getting questioned, so I spoke up again.

"Actually. I think I remember her saying something a hideout or base in the southeast." Ozpin smiled.

"Interesting." Goodwitch raised her hands.

"Wait, I thought you said the intruder never-" Ozpin cut her off.

"Thank you for your cooperation." Goodwitch was glaring at him, but Ozpin was ignoring it. "Amber, today is the first day that the Teams at my school will be going on their first Training Missions. You have no Team, though, and so I propose an idea. As your initiation, you shall tag along with the Team of your choosing today, so that you can also get a taste of what being a Hunter is about. I have your Scroll right here." He pulled one of the devices out of the desk and handed it to me. "It has an assortment of uses that your Team of choosing will teach you. Now, what Team would you like to join?" The was no hesitation.

"I would like to join Ruby's team." He nodded.

"As was expected. Very well, we will assign you to team RWBY for this first mission. You two may take your leave now. Thank you for your time." I nodded back at him as we started for the door.

"Oh, and one more thing." We turned to look at him again. "If you two would be discrete about this matter." I nodded as Ruby spoke.

"Yes, sir." With that, we headed back to the dorms.

* * *

_**Zachary's POV**_

I was waiting with the rest of team RWBY in their Dorm room as Ruby and Amber were interrogated again. We all just stood around, worrying about the worst. When the door finally opened to reveal the two of them, we all sped to get in their faces. Yang yelled.

"What happened?!"

* * *

We all were now settled in the dorm as Ruby recounted what had happened in Ozpin's office. Amber was quiet during it all, but nodded at times. When she was finally finished, Weiss was looking at Amber.

"That was a risky move." Blake responded from her bed.

"No, I think he handled it well." I spoke from where I was leaning on the other bed.

"Well, at least nothing was said. Now that they know where the hideout is, maybe the military can do something about it." Yang had her hand on her sister's shoulder. Ruby was nervous about something, but she hadn't told us.

"I'm sure it'll turn out fine, Ruby." She nodded.

"I hope so." Yang suddenly perked up.

"Oh! I know what'll cheer you up!" She walked over to her desk and picked up a small package. Ruby spoke curiously.

"What's that?" Yang shrugged.

"I don't know yet. Dad sent it to us, I thought we could open it together." Ruby squealed in delight.

"Something from home!" She disappeared from where she was standing and reappeared attached to Yang, trying to get the package. Yang just shook the cylinder and a small black shape popped out. It moved around for a second before it popped into the shape of a…. dog? We all leaned in to get a closer look,until it barked twice and we all jumped back. Ruby jumped in happiness.

"ZWEEEIIIIIII!" Blake and Weiss were not as happy.

"He sent a dog!" Blake exclaimed. Weiss added on.

"In the mail!" Yang shrugged as Ruby played with her newly rejoined pet.

"Oh, he does stuff like this all the time." Blake spoke, now on top of her bunk bed.

"Your father or your dog?" Weiss leaned in to look at Zwei.

"Are you telling me that this mangy, drooling, mutt is going to wive with us forewer! Oh yes he is, yes he is!" Weiss started to make baby noises at the dog, petting him happily. I walked over to the dog in Ruby's arms and started petting him.

"Eh, why not? As long as you don't piss on anything of mine, I'm happy." Blake spoke, still on top of her bunk.

"Just keep it away from my belongings." Suddenly, we heard a voice over the intercom.

"Will all first year students please report to the amphitheatre." Zwei jumped out of Ruby's hands, walking over to sniff Amber, who pet the dog half heartedly. Weiss spoke.

"Well we can't exactly leave him here." Yang reached farther into the package.

"Look, there's a letter." She pulled out a rumpled piece of paper. "Dear girls, I've got to leave the island for a few days, so I'm sending Zwei to you to take care of. Enclosed is all the food you will need. Love you both, Ty Yang." She then raised the can over the dog's head and a few dozen cans flew out in a pile, Zwei's head poking out the top. I laughed.

"What's he supposed to do with that?" She shook it again and a can opener popped out. "Fair enough." Yang shrugged again and threw the package and letter away.

"Well, that settles it. Come on, guys. Zwei will be here when we get back." We left for the auditorium, but when we got outside, Ruby wasn't with us. I turned to the door just as Ruby walked out…. with a backpack on. I raised my eyebrows at her, but she ignored me, continuing as if it was normal. We walked to the auditorium together, where Team RWBY stood in front of JNPR, while Amber and I just kinda stood out on the side. Ozpin took the stage.

"Today we stand together, united. Mistral. Atlas. Vacuou. Vale. The four kingdoms of Remnant. On this day, nearly eighty years ago, the largest war in recorded history came to an end. It was a war of ignorance, of greed, and of oppression. A war that was about much more than where borders fell and who traded with who, but about the very idea of individualism itself. We fought for countless reasons, one being for the destruction of all forms of art and expression, and as you are well aware, that was something many could not stand for. As a result, those who opposed this tyranny started naming their children after one of the core aspects of art itself. Color. It was their way to demonstrate that not only would they refuse to tolerate this oppression, but neither would the generations to come, and it is a trend that is held to this very day. We encourage individuality, expressionism, and unity through diversity. As I have said, today we stand together, united, but this bond cannot exist without effort. Which is why, today, while the rest of the world celebrates peace, Huntsmen and Huntresses will work to uphold it. As first year students, you will be tasked with shadowing a professional Huntress or Huntsman on a mission. Some of you may be taken out of the Kingdom for several days. Others may work within the walls for the rest of the week, but no matter which path you choose, remember to be safe, remember your training, and remember to do your very best." I looked over at my teams, walking over to Ruby as she started getting excited.

"This is perfect! All we have to do is shadow a Huntsman working in the southeast." Yang had started getting excited as well.

"Yeah, we'll follow them around by day, and give them the slip by night!" I nodded.

"You four should choose search and destroy, If you're going to be going to the southeast, you should be prepared for Grimm." Ruby looked at me funny.

"What do you mean 'us?' Aren't you coming along as well?" I shook my head.

"No, originally, Ozpin planned for me to lead you four, as well as Team JNPR into a higher grade mission, but nothing ended up working out, so you guys are leaving separately, and I'm staying here." She nodded as I led them over to the Search and Destroy panel. I looked over it for a moment before I found one.

"Alright, here. Quadrant 5 has High Grimm activities." Yang happily agreed.

"Sounds perfect!" Ruby touched the mission and entered her Team name in the roster, but when she pressed enter, a warning came up saying 'No first year students.' Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Wonderful." Blake looked at us.

"Any other ideas?" Ruby perked up.

"We mail ourselves there."

"Well, that's one option. Unfortunately, we determined that the concentration of Grimm was too extreme for first year students. It seems that particular region is rather popular. In fact, I have the sneaking suspicion that the four of you will make your way there no matter which job you choose." We were all glaring at Ruby, who was trying to look as innocent as possible once again.

"Whatever makes you say that?" Ozpin responded.

"I'm still curious as to how you all found yourselves at the docks last semester. I'm interested to know how you really learned about a hideout in the southeast. And I certainly wonder why witnesses reported seeing robots and rose petals in a Dance Club some time ago, coincidentally, the same night that Zachary here returned to Beacon with a minor concussion?" Ruby started making random noises to stall time, but Ozpin continued.

"I doubt I'll ever find the answers I'm looking for, so how about this? Instead of waiting for you all to break the rules, why don't we just bend them? He tapped a couple things on his Scroll until the Search and Destroy mission on the panel stated 'Taken.' The girls all looked at each other in awe until they looked at Ozpin. Ruby spoke.

"We won't let you down. Thank you, Professor."

"Do not thank me for this. Teamwork and persistence have carried you far, but you must understand. The things that await you, beyond the protection of the Kingdom will not care. Stay close to your Huntsman at all times, and do exactly as he says. He will be leading you on this mission, and he can have you sent back to Beacon if he finds your skills to be unsatisfactory." He looked at us for a moment before turning to walk away.

"Zachary, would you please come with me please? And girls, don't forget that you will also be fighting beside your new Tutor, Amber." Weiss frowned.

"What?" Ruby smiled happily. explaining the situation as I walked away with Ozpin.

"It's too bad we were never able to find a mission suited to my Teams." He nodded.

"Indeed. I was hoping to see all of your skills together, but alas it was not meant to be." He walked up to another panel before stopping.

"Zachary, I believe that I could use your help still." I raised my head a bit.

"Oh?" He nodded.

"Yes, there have been sightings of a century old Nevermore that has been roaming the Emerald forest outside of Vale for about 2 and a half weeks now. I was hoping I could send you on a solo mission with a Hunter to take it down and return." I nodded, looking at the Panel. It showed an overhead shot of the Nevermore flying over the forest. "The Nevermore is in Quadrant 12." I did a double take. Quadrant 12?! That was the area far in the Emerald forest, where my Fam….. Oh.

"Is that so? I would be happy to accept the mission you're assigning." He smirked with a glint in his eye that said he knew I understood.

"Yes, but here is the problem that has arisen. Every Hunter in the Vale area is currently occupied on their missions, so I propose to send you with another student, coming from Mistral, a prodigy, really, and has quite the knack for finding information." He pulled up a Student ID sent from one of the Mistral schools. I smiled as I looked down at Maggie's smiling face. I looked back at him.

"I accept the mission, but I do have a question, if you don't mind?" Ozpin smiled, putting the Scroll under his arm.

"Of course, Zachary."

"Why are you really sending me?" He smiled at me silently for a moment before responding.

"Why, to kill a Nevermore threatening society. If we let it run rampant, then imagine the damage it could do to our fine Kingdom. The City, Beacon." He lowered his glasses a little. "The CCT." I nodded.

"Alright, when is our departure?"

"ASAP. Your shuttle leaves as soon as you and Ms. Everdale are ready." I smiled at him, pulling out my scroll to text her.

"Then I better get moving, and Ozpin. Thank you."

* * *

**Alright guys, GuffeyManipulation here. Wanted to say that I am no longer accepting OC ideas. You all had your chance for with plenty of time, and only one was sent in. I, if you haven't noticed even now, have changed the title of the Story to Courage, Bravery, Integrity. Anyway, thank you for reading, I hope I have your support in the future, and peace out!**


	32. Chapter 32: Search and Destroy: Zachary

_**Zachary's POV**_

"Are you ready?" Maggie had been running about her room for nearly an hour now, gathering a bunch of devices that I was far from recognizing. She glared at me as she folded the flaps over her side bag. Considering the amount of time it took to prepare, it was a ridiculously small bag.

"Shut up. You pushed me on this at the last minute, you can wait for me to get ready." She walked past me with her bag, placing it in my hands as she passed. It was pretty heavy for the size, but I didn't really have any problems. I turned to see the glass container containing her exo suit open. She walked backwards into the open suit, and as she got into place, the sut closed around her body, not exactly providing armor, but covering her body in a cage like armor, most likely to just help for improved reflexes and strength. The only thing that was completely covered was the helmet, that covered her entire head, pulling her hair up on top. The front of the helmet was just a glass-like surface that showed a dark blue abyss. As she stepped forward, she rolled her shoulders around before tapping the helmet next to her ear. The glass parted to the sides revealing her face. She was smiling at me. "Alright, now I'm ready." I laughed.

"Don't you think super armor is gonna be a little suspicious?" She smirked at me.

"That's why I have travel mode." The mask once again covered her face. After a couple seconds, the mask once again opened up to show her with an embarrassed face. "I forgot about the bug with the helmet." She walked over to her desk and pulled out one of the bluetooth headsets and passed it to me, just like last time. "My helmet doesn't have any speakers. Nobody can hear me with the face guard on, but with that headset, I'll be able to speak with you." I smirked at her.

"That's a pretty big 'bug'." She glared at me.

"Just put the headset in before I knock your teeth in." I smiled at her as I put the headset in my ear, the mask, once again covering her face. This time, I could hear her when she spoke.

"Alright, check this out. Command Keyboard." Maggie then put her hands forward and started moving her fingers around.

"Uh, Maggie?" She didn't stop her hands.

"Holographic monitor and keyboard, you can't see them, but I can. Just let me type in these last commands." She continued to type on the keyboard for a few more seconds before she slapped the invisible enter button. "Done!" She held her hands out to her sides as the exo-suit started retracting off her body, shrinking up her back and off her head, until she was, instead of wearing armor, wearing a black back pack with Neon Blue tracings. "Cool, huh?" I nodded.

"Yeah, that's perfect, now can we go?" She sighed and took her side bag back from me and heading for the door.

"Yeah, let's go." I smiled and jogged to catch up to her, walking beside her to the bullheads. I only had my regular combat clothes on(Military style combat pants, regular plain shirt, combat boots. All of the above in black, with Neon Orange tracings and laces.) and a small shoulderbag with a couple pieces of gear. Maggie, on the other hand, had the backpack with her exo-suit, the shoulderbag with a bunch of of gadgets, and if I hadn't stopped her, she would have taken all fifty of her Drones, instead of the 15 that she needed. I put my hands behind my pack as we walked.

"Let's go over the plan again." She laughed.

"That….. was not a plan." I continued to look forward silently until she folded. "Fiiiiiiiiine, let's hear it again." I smiled in victory.

"Okay, we'll find this Nevermore as quickly as we can using the drones like you did with Amber's house. Then, once we found it, we'll take it down as quickly as possible." She nodded.

"Shouldn't be a problem." I shook my head.

"Don't forget that it took all of Team RWBY plus me to take down a Nevermore of the same size at my initiation. This might be a tough fight."

"But not nearly as deadly what you're really wanting to try?" I sighed. We were standing in front of the Bullhead that was to drop us off on the edge of the forest, or any other markable area we could use as Evac. I had told the pilot ahead of time about the Meadow, and we were using that as Evac for this mission. All the much closer to the Nevermore and The Milos Family Mansion.

"We can argue about this on the plane. Come on." We boarded the ship. The pilot was waiting in the cockpit to leave. I gave him the good to go and we both sat down in the empty plane. After a couple of minutes, the plane had taken off and was on way to the drop off point. I broke the silence.

"Once the Nevermore is dead, we'll make way to the Mansion. I'll go in alone on a stealth mission, while you give me support with the drones, Information and warnings only. If I get caught in the Mansion, there's a chance they'll let me live, but I don't see them being as merciful with you." She nodded.

"And instead of me being killed. You'll be caught and tortured… To death. Either way, this is a really bad idea." I frowned.

"Look Maggie, I'm going in, with or without your help." She stared at me for a moment before nodding.

"Alright, I'll bite. Why do you need to go in?" I stared back at her.

"I have reasons to believe that the attack on the CCT was the fault of my family. I need to find out why they're suddenly terrorists against Vale." She gave a little gasp, but quickly covered it up. After that, the rest of the ride was silent between the two us. We made our way to the drop off point quickly. It landed down in the Meadow after about 20 minutes. The two of us stepped onto the ashen ground, taking in the surroundings while the Bullhead took off and left. I turned to Maggie.

"You ready?" She nodded and pulled a drive from the side pocket on her bag. She threw it up in the air to have it transform and take flight. Without waiting a second, she pulled another larger device out of her bag. When she pressed the button on the top of the device and it expanded into a small laptop. When she pulled, yet another machine out of the bag, I looked at it in awe.

"What's that one?" She giggled for a couple seconds. I started getting frustrated. "What?! Is it obvious or something?!" She laughed and hit the button as it expanded.

"IT'S A CHAIR!" She continued to laugh as the device turned into a chair and small table, which she placed the laptop on top of. She continued to giggle as I crossed my arms in silence, now a little annoyed.

"Whatever. Let's just find the Nevermore." She stopped laughing, but still smiled happily.

"Alright. This might take a little while with only one drone." I leaned over behind her to see a bunch of numbers go flying down the screen.

"Uhhhh?" She looked back at me before clicking a couple things on the computer. Then, a video feed of the drone came up.

"I can follow the video through the raw data, and therefore let my drone move faster and take up ground more quickly because it's not wasting power on the camera, but if you wanna watch…" I shook my head.

"No, no. Do your thing." She smiled and switched it back.

"Good." There was a couple of minutes of silence while I just paced behind her, trying to think of a way to make it move faster.

"Why are we only using one drone anyway? Why can't we have all 15 searching?" She sighed and spoke.

"I only have one laptop in my possession to control the drone. This little guy won't be able to handle 2, much less 15, when it's following movement like this, I need to do it manually. If they were immobile, then it would just give me warnings if there was unnatural movement in their feed." I stared blankly at the back of her head. "Zach, I'm going as fast as I can. All you can do is wait." I sighed and sat down, the ash riding a little before settling down again. I sat quietly as Maggie continued to follow the data, but after a couple minutes, I started tapping my foot, then strumming my fingers, I couldn't just sit here and wait, but it was also all I could do, so I tried. I would silently for a couple minutes, then I would start to pace, then I would move to another meaningless task just to keep myself busy, and finally, Maggie shouted in victory.

"I found it!" I was sitting and stood up quickly.

"Where is it?!" She pulled up the feed on her laptop showing the Nevermore.

"A mile and a half north of here." I smiled.

"ALRIGHT, LET'S GO!" Maggie shrunk everything down and slammed it down in her bag. I put a hand on her shoulder.

"Really? You can't take all that into combat."

"I wasn't planning to." She had pulled out a black blanket just as quickly and placed it over her bag. When it had settled, it and the bag turned invisible. She then stood up, the exo suit covering her body before she was wearing the full suit, including the helmet. Her voice streamed through the headset.

"Alright, now I'm ready." All of a sudden, I was pulled off my feet and was traveling at extraordinary speeds. I looked up frantically to find myself in quite a emasculating predicament. I was being carried, bridal style by Maggie as she carried me to the destination. I wanted to tell her to let me go, but before I could we were stopped. I, just as quickly fell out of her arms as she dropped me. I glared up at her.

"Never. Again." I could hear her laughing through the headset, but was quickly stopped by a loud roar. The roar of a Nevermore. We both looked up to see it circling above the trees, obviously knowing we were there. I smiled.

"Let's go." I jumped to the nearest tree and started climbing, making my way to the top, moving as fast as I could until I made i to the top, the Nevermore only a couple tens of feet above me. Maggie was in the tree next to me.

"Plan?" I shook my head and shrugged.

"Wing it?" She laughed. She started to say something, but was cut off by the Nevermore again. The large Grimm had started making a dive down for us. I took the initiative and slammed my fists together, unleashing my weapons upon my arms. The precious seconds it took gave me barely enough time to jump up and body slam the large birds face. As you might have thought, one person's body barely slowed it down, and it kept flying, now bringing me in an upward arc. I was soon airborne on the head of the Nevermore.

"You're definitely 'winging it.'" I laughed at her stupid joke.

"Could I get some back up or something?" I could hear her laughter as the Nevermore suddenly started coming back to the ground, it's flight now stopped. I held desperately on it's feathers as it fell. I screamed until it was brought to a sudden halt, falling to the ground. I still thrashed about, but now, Maggie was wailing on it's right wing, tearing it to pieces. It only took a second before the Nevermore started getting back on his feet, trying to get away, but I stopped it. I sat on the front of it's beak and punched it in the eye. It screamed in agony as my fist entered it's skull, completely destroying it's eye. I scrunched up my face in disgust as the black blood of the Grimm started to flow onto my arm. I pulled it out and glanced over at Maggie to see her completely tear off the Bird's wing. It screamed in agony once again. I was actually surprised it was lived this long, but considering it's slow movements, now basically lying on the ground and taking the beating. I stared it in the eye to see it staring back, and even in this defeated state, the Nevermore tried to throw me off it's beak so it could gobble me up, but I frowned at it's feeble attempt.

"Your fight is OVER!" With the last word, I slammed my fist into the other eye, bringing it to an end. I slowly pulled my hand out of the other gushing eye and hopped off it's beak. Landing on the ground with a light thud. Maggie had already gotten off and was panting tiredly.

"Now, that was a fun!" I laughed tiredly as well, hunched over with my hands on my knees.

"Seriously." We stood there for a couple minutes, just resting up before we started walking back to the Meadow where Maggie's equipment was. Maggie had agreed to not carry me this time, I could handle the lost time. She had also pulled back the face mask, so that we could actually talk, but nothing was actually said between us. We just walked in silence to the Meadow.

* * *

We arrived back within the hour, but we still had a long way to go to get to the Milos Family Mansion. I turned to her with a timid smile.

"You wouldn't happen to have a fast way to get ten miles without, you know, you carrying me?" She laughed.

"Nope, unless you want to walk, then you're going to have deal with it." I sighed and walked over to her.

"Alright, jump up little boy." She squatted down so I could get on her back. I sighed once again and got on, and not a second later, she was off, running at incredible speed. I clinged to her back, trying to stay on, and not 3 minutes later, she came to a quick stop, sending me flying over her back and straight into a tree. I fell to the ground and looked up at Maggies smirking face, now opened from the helmet, upside down. I glared at her.

"I hate you right now." She smiled and started setting up her laptop ,as well as a bunch more equipment.

"Yep, but you'll get over it." I frowned at her as I started to get up, rubbing my head.

"So where are we?"

"About a mile from the house. I'll have plenty of range with my Drones, and I'll be far enough away that I won't be found." I nodded. As she sat down in the chair, her armor turned back into her backpack, and when it was done transforming, she placed it next to her. She then pulled another thing from her bag, a small clip on camera.

"Attach this to your belt, facing forward." I did as she said and she had the video on her screen, ready and moving. She then pulled out a bunch of her drives, at least ten of them. They were in a small bag, that I also attached to my belt.

"Just place those on a wall facing a room or hallway and I'll let you know if there was any movement in them once you left the area." She then started tapping away at the laptop until she finally stopped. I couldn't decipher what she had on it, but it must have been important by the way she carefully brought all the windows into place. Sh turned to me, only the top half of her body now, the bottom half covered by the small cubicle of technology.

"I'm ready to go." I nodded at her and started walking. I started walking to the place that had changed my life forever.

* * *

**Hey, guys. GuffeyManipulation here. I decided to write this chapter in a different format, so let me know if you guys prefer this or what I've been doing. I'd also like to ask of something else. All of the stories that I have been following in the past month have made no updates, so I went ahead and stopped following them, and started searching for a new RWBY stories to read, but I ran into a problem. I haven't been able to find a single good story since I've started searching. I'd like to ask you guys to let me know what stories you guys have been reading(or writing) and PM me. That's all I'd like to say, so Thanks for reading!**


	33. Chapter 33: Search and Destroy: Amber

_**Amber's POV**_

I joined up with Team RWBY as they were leaving the Auditorium, heading for the Bullheads. The all looked rather depressed, considering how excited they were earlier. Yang was the first to speak.

"That wasn't exactly uplifting." I frowned, but stayed my voice as Blake spoke.

"But it's the truth." Ruby was more optimistic than the others.

"It's gonna be tough, but I know we can do it!" I was about to speak, but someone ran in front of us yelling.

"Hey! Team CFVY is back!" We all looked to see an older Team of students walking back to the building. Blake ran over to them, the rest of us forced to follow.

"Velvet! Are you okay?" She turned to look at her.

"I'm fine, I had Yatsuhashi to look out for me." Weiss stood next to Blake.

"Your mission was supposed to end a week ago what happened?!" The sisters and I walked to stand behind her. Velvet shook her head at Weiss.

"Nothing happened. It was just, there was just so many." When she saw our worried faces, she backtracked a bit. "But, don't worry. You first years are just shadowing huntsmen, so you should be fine." Yang nodded sarcastically.

"Riiiiight." She eyed me for a second.

"Whose this?" I put out a hand.

"Amber Pleasant." She nodded, taking the hand.

"Velvet." She looked at the others. "I should go, be safe, okay." She walked off, leaving Team RWBY looking at each other doubtfully. Ruby spoke courageously.

"We can do this, we've never backed down before, and we aren't going to stop now." Blake nodded.

"Right." Ruby continued.

"Besides, it won't only be us out there, we'll be fighting alongside a genuine Huntsman!" I looked at them, confused at this point.

"Exactly what mission did you four pick? You've been nervous this entire time." Weiss responded.

"Search and Destroy mission in Southeast Vale." I smiled.

"Southeast, huh?" Ruby nodded happily, but Blake spoke in a more serious tone.

"The catch is that the Grimm concentration was so high, that it wasn't supposed to be open to first year students. Professor Ozpin made an exception for us." I frowned.

"I see. Ruby's right, though. We'll be fighting beside a Huntsman. We shouldn't have to worry about fighting too much."

* * *

We walked to the Bullheads to find a tall and skinny man wearing a safari hat waiting for us. Team RWBY all froze in different surprised and depressed poses.

"Why hello, students! Who's ready to fight for their lives!" I looked at him doubtfully as Weiss spoke uncertainly.

"Professor Oobleck?" He started pacing professionally in front of us and talking at an incredibly fast rate.

"Yes, I'm afraid those bags won't be necessary, see as you've opted to shadow a Huntsman on what is officially a reconnaissance mission. I can assure you we will not be establishing a single base of operations and rather we will be traversing several miles of hazardous waste land and making camp and any defensible locations we may stumble upon. I've packed all of our essentials myself, called the Air Course, and prepared the airstrip." He raised a finger and got into Weiss's face. "And it's Doctor Oobleck. I didn't earn the PHD for fun, thank you very much." Weiss looked at Blake uncertainty,though Oobleck gave her no time to say anything. "Come now children, according to my schedule, we are already three minutes behind schedule!" He then sped off towards the Bullhead, leaving us behind. Ruby was the first to speak.

"Well, alright then! Looks like we're going to save the world with Doctor Oobleck, okay, when you say it outloud it sounds worse." We heard a voice behind us.

"Save the world!" We all turned around to see four other students walking over to us, led by Jaune. From what Ruby told me at the Dance, the others must be Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora. The short girl, Nora most likely, continued. "You're going on World-Saving Missions without us! I'm hurt, sad, maybe a little hungry. That last one's not your fault though, Ren!" The tall boy in green, Ren, turned away and crossed his arms. Jaune spoke.

"Sounds exciting, where're you going?" Ruby spoke for us.

"Oh, just outside the Kingdom." Nora happily spoke.

"Hey, So are we!" Pyrrha put her hands on her hips.

"Ren and Nora wanted to Shadow the Sheriff of a nearby village." Ren spoke quietly.

"We set out tomorrow."

"Then you can party with us tonight!" A Blonde Faunus boy and a Blue haired boy walked over to us. I looked at Ruby and she whispered something in my ear.

"Sun and Neptune, you can figure out which is which." Neptune continued talking.

"We're shadowing a Crime Specialist. All inner-city detective stuff, we get junior detective badges." Jaune looked at them in awe, but they ignored him, Sun spoke next.

"We normally go to the city with you guys, which means stuffs always exploding and junk, so we thought this might be a better way to check out the kingdom when it's, you know, normal." Ruby was about to speak but, Oobleck yelled from the shp before she could.

"Four minutes, children!" We all looked at each other for a second before Ruby tried to speak again.

"Well, uh, wish us luck." With that, we headed for the Bullheads. When we finally got inside, the plane immediately took off, probably at the signal of the Doctor. The second after we were airborne, Oobleck was on me.

"So, you must be Amber!" I nodded.

"Yes, I am." He put his hand out.

"Doctor Oobleck! Current History Professor at Beacon Academy!" I shook his hand, but before I could say anything he kept talking. "I cannot wait to have you in my classroom when we return to the school. I can already see the Intelligence behind those eyes and _cannot_ miss the opportunity to teach such a brilliant mind!" I nodded slowly.

"Uhh, yeah. Wait if you're a History Teacher, then why are you being sent with us to a Grimm infested zone?" Yang nodded in agreeance.

"Yeah, I never thought of you as much of a fighter." He nodded.

"I intend to fancy myself as more of an Intellectual, but I can assure you, as a Huntsman, I've had my fair share of Tussles." Ruby scratched her head, confusion covering her face.

"Like mushroom?" Blake leaned next to her.

"Those are Truffles."

"Like the Sprout?" Yang leaned in this time.

"Those are Brussels." Oobleck continued.

"Given my expertise in the field of History as well as my dabblings in the art of Archeal servings, our dear Headmaster saw fit to assign me to this particular assignment." Weiss questioned him.

"What does History have to do with this?" The man turned on her quickly.

"Why that's a preposterous question, silly girl, History is the backbone of our very society! And the Liver! And probably the Kidneys if I were to wager!"

"And that means?"

"The Southeast Quadrant outside of Vale is home to wild forests and deep caves, but it is also the location to one of the kingdom's greatest failures!" Ruby spoke from beside me.

"Mountain Glen." I looked at her.

"It was an expansion Vale before it was overrun by Grimm, and left behind by the rest of the city." Oobleck nodded.

"Correct, and now it stands abandoned as a stark reminder." Blake spoke next.

"And a likely place for a hideout." Oobleck smiled at her.

"Precisely."

* * *

The Bullhead dropped us off in a seemingly secluded area of the wreckage that was Mount Glenn. Team RWBY and I all got into Combat positions, while the Doctor just sipped from his Thermos nonchalantly. We looked at the wasteland around us hesitantly until oobleck abruptly spoke.

"Ladies, Amber, you may still be students, but as of this moment your first mission as Hunters has begun! From this point forward, you need to do exactly as I say! Do you understand?" We all nodded silently until he turned on Ruby. "Ruby! I thought I told you to leave your bags back at school!" She raised a finger.

"But you hadn't told us to listen to you yet, so I didn't." I sighed and pressed my fingers into the bridge of my nose as the Professor looked down thoughtfully.

"Hmmm, she's not wrong. Very well, Ruby, leave your bag here and we can pick it up upon our return." She started to stutter. I spoke tiredly.

"Ruby, what did you br-?" I stopped mid sentence as Zwei, the dog from earlier, popped his head out of Ruby's bag. We all stared at her as she whispered to her dog.

"Get back in the bag." Zwei barked in response. Oobleck looked down on her menacingly.

"We're here to investigate an abandoned urban jungle teeming with death and hostility and you brought… A dog?" She stuttered for a second before he exploded in excitement. "GENIUS!" He grabbed the mutt from her bag and started twirling it around him. "Canines are strongly known for their perceptive nose and height in sense of sound, making them excellent companions for hunts such as ours!" Zwei barked happily. Ruby pointed to herself happily.

"I'm a genius!" We looked sarcastically at each other until Blake spoke to Oobleck.

"So, what are your orders, Doctor?" He dropped Zwei to the ground and turned to us.

"Ah, straight to the chase, I like it! As you have been informed the Southeast Area has been marked as a recent hotspot for Grimm activity. Now there are several possible explanations for this behavior, one of which being, Grimm." He stopped, as we waited for him to continue. Ruby finally questioned him.

"Uhhh, what?" He spoke calmly.

"Grimm, a creature of Grimm approximately 100 yards from us at this very moment." Yang yelled annoyingly.

"What?!" We all turned to see a Beowulf walking along. The 5 of us prepared our weapons.

"Stop." We turned back to the Doctor, lowering our weapons. "There are a number of reasons why Grimm would congregate in this particular area. The most likely of which is their attraction to negativity. Sadness, Envy, Loneliness, Hatred, all qualities that are likely held by our hidden group hovering ill intent." I frowned. I had forgotten that these monsters were attracted to such things. I spoke.

"Then what's our course of action?" He looked at me.

"We wait, we track. If this specimen leads us to it's pack, then the pack may subsequently lead us to our prey." Blake spoke quietly.

"How long do we wait?" He put a hand under his chin.

"It's uncertain. Hours, days, weeks, why lone Grimm have been known to stay isolated from the pack for months and there's the whole pack." We all looked at the increasing number of Wolves. Weiss surprisingly yelled out.

"What?!"

"And now they've seen us." She yelled again.

"What?!" He got right behind her and yelled.

"AND NO THEY'VE SEEN US!" Ruby hesitantly looked back at the Hunter.

"I take it tracking is out of the question?" He nodded.

"An accurate assumption, yes." Yang raised her hands, exasperated.

"What's the plan then?" The Beowolves started running at us. The girls turned to the Doctor, but I stayed my stance, ready to fight on an expected command. He spoke calmly.

"Show me what you're capable of." I frowned and pulled an inch of my sword from it's sheath, showing only a bit of metal, my finger hovered above the trigger on the handle. I slowly unfurled the wings from my back, letting them flow behind me a bit before they were at a point where they were catching a sudden new breeze. I heard a gasp from the girls, but I ignored them, keeping my eyes on the approaching enemies at hand. I suddenly spoke, my voice starting to get a little muffled by the greater wind surrounding us.

"Don't wait for them to come to us, take the initiative!" With that, I let loose the pressure that had been held up by my aura and the wind brought me flying at the Grimm at a speed that easily matched Ruby's. As I flew, my sword flashed out with a single blow until I was behind the large pack, nearly 20 feet behind them with my sword held out at my side, without turning, I could hear the bodies of at least 6 of the Grimm drop to the ground, my slice going either straight through them, or hitting vital points. When I turned, the girls had taken my advice and started powering through the Grimm, easily fighting through them until the five of us stood in front of Oobleck, the bodies of wolves covering the ground around us. I sheathed my sword silently as Ruby laughed.

"Piece of cake!" He calmly spoke.

"Do not celebrate yet, for I am certain that this is the first bout of many. Shall we continue?" I nodded.

"Let's." Weiss raised her hands quickly.

"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!" We all looked at her as she pointed at me. "Why didn't you tell us you were a Faunus?" I had already folded my wings across my back in my robe, but I let them flow through the slits on my back, having them extend to full length.

"There was never a time that any of you needed to know. Will it be a problem?" We all looked at her expectantly as she started to stutter, but Ruby came to her rescue raised her hands.

"It's no problem, just a bit of a sudden surprise. Next time you have a secret that large, it would be better to let it out with a talk, not right before a battle." The Doctor had been watching us, a smile plastered on his face, but had interrupted before we could continue.

"We must move on, there is much to be done before nightfall." We nodded silently as he led us off.

* * *

We all stood around the Doctor as he watched our progress on the invading Grimm. So far throughout the day, we had fought countless Grimm, but we have yet to see him bring out a weapon. All he did was study the environment and dead Grimm. Yang had been the most irked out of all of us. We had finished the last of the Grimm and Oobleck spoke suddenly.

"Tell me, Yang, why did you choose this line of work?" She turned to him with a confused look.

"Huh?" All he did was give her an expectant look. She gave in and answered. "Well, to fight monsters and sav-" He interrupted her.

"No, that is what you do. I want to know why you do it. The honest reason as to why you want to be a Huntress." She lowered her voice.

"The honest reason? I'm a thrill seeker. I want to travel around the world and get wrapped up in as many crazy adventures as I can, and if I help people along the way, then that's even better. It's a win-win, you know?" He nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer.

"I see." I started to think about it myself, but couldn't for very long before I was forced to stick my blade through the stomach of an approaching Beowulf.

* * *

The 5 of us fought tirelessly against a pack of Grimm as the Doctor sat safely atop some construction. He, once again, called out to one of the girls.

"And you Ms. Schnee. A girl born into fame and fortune such as yourself certainly doesn't need to work. So, why choose this over a cozy job in Atlas?" I glanced through the corner of my eye at her as I decapitated the last of my Grimm. She turned to look up at him fearlessly.

"It's exactly as you said, I'm a Schnee. I have a legacy of honor to uphold. Once I realized I was capable of fighting, there was no longer a question with what I would do with my life. It was my duty." He looked down at her for a moment.

"Interesting." With that he jumped down from his spot. I once again thought of why I was here. I had only been a Hunter for a day, what could I say that could mean any reason to being here?

* * *

We waited as Blake breached a door, blowing it in, only to have countless Nevermores pour out of the opening and into the sky. She jumped backwards quickly and started firing her pistol up, taking out all the birds. The Doctor looked in the room, studying the now empty area until he raised a hand to her.

"And what about you Blake? You seem to carry yourself with a sense of purpose." She responded as quickly as Weiss, now expecting the question.

"There's too much wrong in this world to just stand by and do nothing. Inequality, corruption, someone has to stop it." As she finished, Oobleck nodded.

"Very well. How?" She looked around for a second, trying to think of an answer.

"I…. Don't know."

"Hmmm." With that, he sped away, leaving her questioning herself. I stood beside her, and nudged her arm. She looked at me with am expression I had seen in mirrors before. Self-Doubt. I stared at her for a second before turning to follow the others.

"Come on."

* * *

The waves of Grimm had finally come to an end, and we were all standing around, awaiting the Doctors next orders. But instead of giving them, he just watched as Ruby teased her dog with a turkey, suspended by her Scythe. When she saw him, she quickly put her weapon away.

"Sorry! Uhhh, are we ready to keep going?" I walked up next to him, looking up as he studied the sky as well.

"I would imagine not. Nightfall will be coming soon." He nodded.

"Adept observation, Amber." He threw his pack behind him, straight into Yang's arms. He looked up at the descending sun.

"You four, set up camp in that building. Oh and please do make sure there are no more of those creatures. Your leader and I are going to secure the perimeter, come Ruby." With that, he walked off with Ruby. I turned towards the building with the rest of her Team, ready to make camp. They all looked back at Ruby with worried faces, especially Yang. I called out from the door of the abandoned building.

"She'll be fine. She's intelligent enough to handle whatever Oobleck is gonna ask her." I got grateful looks from the three of them as they came to help me clear the building.

* * *

Blake, Yang, Weiss, and I sat around a fire, waiting for the Doctor and Ruby to return. We had already cleared the building and fortified it was well as we could. While the others waited around the fire, I sat in the doorway, watching out for passing Grimm or our leaders. Yang suddenly spoke, breaking the silence that had controlled our group for quite a while now.

"I can't believe we didn't find anything."

"We've always been fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time." Blake said. "I guess we can't always have luck on our side." There was silence again, before Weiss randomly spoke.

"That's not what I meant." I turned to look at her.

"What?" She continued.

"Earlier, about upholding the legacy. There's more to it than that." Yang agreed.

"Yeah, no, me too. I mean…. I don't know." Blake shook her head.

"I don't know either. I know what I want to do, but I figured I'd always take things one step at a time." I had turned back out to watch our unmoving surroundings. I could feel them watching me, silent. I could only imagine what they were thinking. Here I am, this guy from the middle of the woods, someone they knew close to nothing about, and they're still expected to trust me with everything they've been working for, just on the good name of their leader. I sat silently, looking outwards as my mind drifted through my memories, trying to sort them until I figured out how I ended up here, why I decided that this would be my path. My mind stuck to one thing. The smiling face of my Master after I had completed one of his riddles. The way he always made sure I had what I needed, not caring if it was at the extent of himself. I found myself, moments later, frowning, sadness seeping through my bones. I spoke quietly.

"I chose to become a Huntsman because it's the only way to uphold my Master's name." I stopped for a moment, trying to figure out the best way I could say this. "I chose to be a Huntsman because 2 months ago, A boy appeared in the ashes of his burnt memories. I chose to be a Huntsman because 1 month ago, the same boy was travelling back to this burnt place, repairing and mending, as if he could change everything if he worked hard enough. I chose to be a Huntsman because not one week ago, the only man that has ever felt like family to me passed away, leaving me alone in an empty hut in the middle of the forest. For a time, there was darkness, until a couple days later, the boy appeared on my front doorstep, asking for my help. I allowed him to enter my home and new light was brought to my blackened lifestyle. I saw hope in this light. I saw something that could bring my mentor back everyday I use the skills he taught me, that reason alone is why I am here today." With that, I stopped. The girls watched me carefully, not sure what to say until I stood up.

"Negativity is a beacon for these creatures. I will be back momentarily once I have composed myself of these thoughts, so that I can better hide my sorrow." I walked out the door. I walked to the end of the street and entered an empty alley, sitting down on the ground. I quietly leaned back against the wall, letting everything out. Before I knew it, I was practically sighing in relief as all the sadness that had been seeping throughout my body was let out, and yet, I kept a little to myself. A reminder of why I chose to say yes to Ozpin's offer. I could imagine it was only a couple of minutes, but it felt like an eternity. I slowly stood up and walked back to the others. When I entered the building, Ruby and Oobleck had returned, though they had noticed my appearance yet. Blake, Weiss, and Yang did though, and gave me apologetic looks before they all got ready for bed. I turned to pick up my sleeping bag, but the Doctor was already on my.

"Where were you?! We are in a Grimm infested area. None of you should be out on your own." I squared my shoulders and looked at him.

"Only needed to collect my thoughts, so that the negativity inside would not bring the Grimm to us." He stared at me for a second before nodding.

"Fair enough, just let me or your leader know next time you decide to "collect your thoughts."" I nodded back at him.

"Will do, sir." I silently prepared my bag far from the fire and the rest of the Team, once again, closer to the door. Once I had eaten my dinner, I lied down for bed.

* * *

**Hey, guys, sorry for the delay for this chapter. I was really busy this past week, and couldn't find any extra time to write this chapter. Nobody has sent me any of their current Stories, so I ask, once again, that people PM me with recommended RWBY Fanfics you have been enjoying. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	34. Chapter 34: Independence

_**Zachary's POV**_

A million thoughts went through my head. Why am I doing this? What am I going to do when I get there? Who am I going to have to face?

"Zach, you alright?" I was brought out of my thoughts by Maggie, who had spoken through the Earpiece. I shook my head and forged ahead, now able to see the Clearing that opened up to the mansion not very far ahead.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm good." There was a pause before her response.

"You don't have to do this, you know." I shook my head, but stopped when I realized she couldn't see it.

"No, this is the best way." I now stood on the forest line, looking at the Mansion ahead. A huge building, not as big as Beacon, but still very large. By the looks of it, there were no visible defenses on the premises, but that doesn't mean anything. The building is most likely filled with advanced fighters, trained to use their Semblance to the maximum capacity. Not much need for defenses when you basically have an army at the ready. I looked around for a while, looking for an easy entrance, but not finding any way that wasn't very open and obvious. Maggie's voice crackled through the earpiece.

"The tree line is far from the building on all sides. There's not really a subtle way in unless you wanna dig your way there."

"Funny. Any ideas?"

"Gimme a minute." I waited a moment, continuing to study the area. "Uhhh, Zach?"

"Yeah?" There was a pause before she responded.

"There are 16 Heat Signatures in that house." I wrinkled my eyebrows.

"What?!" That's not possible. There are were around 100 people living in that building when I left, there's no way there are 16 people left, so where are they?

"There are only 16 people in there. Their scattered around a bit, there's a cluster of three on the second floor and 2 in the basement." I frowned.

"The basement? The only thing in the Basement is the torture chambers." There was silence between us for a moment before I straightened up, jogging to the Mansion.

"What are you doing?!" I kept jogging.

"There are only 16 people in there, 2 of them Prisoners. I can avoid 14 people." I crept up to the front door, trying the door. Locked. I looked up to see 2 open windows on the second floor on either sides of the door.

"Maggie, which window?" There was a second of silence before her response.

"Right, left is closer to the group of 3." I propped my foot on the railing surrounding the front steps and pulled myself up to the door frame. After a bit of open wall climbing, I was already starting to break a sweat as I pulled through the window. I crouched down, finding myself in what seemed to be a teens bedroom, but something was off. Instead of sports trophies in the cupboards, there were countless weapons scattering the wall. I shuddered, remembering my time here before moving to the door. I slowly opened the door and looked out into the hallway, completely clear. I started out before Maggie's voice screamed through the headset.

"Group of 3 just left their room and are moving towards you!" I looked left just in time to see 3 figures before I backed back into the room. I didn't have time to shut the door, though and hid behind it. As they got closer, I could hear the laughs and giggles of 3 girls. I frowned, peeking through the slit from the door. I could just see the girls pass, all none older than 12! I backed against the wall again, not moving until their voices faded away. I slowly left the room, entering the hallway.

"Maggie, I need an isolated person, preferably close."

"At the end of that hallway to the left." I started off, quickly creeping my way along until I stopped at a door that was cracked open. I tried to look inside, but all I could hear was the very faint sound of heavy metal music. I slowly opened the door to find a boy, about 10 maybe, sitting on his bed and listening to music. He had his eyes closed and was completely oblivious that I was there. I frowned and walked over to him, closing the door behind me. He made no move that he knew I was there, so I poked him once in the arm. Instead of getting up, he only turned on his side, facing away from me.

"Get out of here Vivian. If you're worried then talk to the girls." I frowned and ripped the earbuds out of his ears. He frantically sat up, but I put a hand over his mouth before he could say anything. He looked up at me, obviously surprised that someone that wasn't a little girl was in his room. He made no signs of making sound, so I slowly spoke.

"Now I'm going to take my hand away from your mouth, if you scream, you will be in a world of hurt. Got it?" He nodded his head and I took my hand from his mouth. He gulped nervously.

"Who are you? Why are you in my room?" I frowned down at him.

"It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that I get my questions answered, alright?" He nodded quickly. "Good. Now what's your name kid?"

"Alexander."

"Alright, Alex- Wait, like Alexander Shauna Milos?" He nodded.

"Yeah, how do you know me?" I stared blankly at his face. The last time I had seen this kid, he was 3 years old, barely able to speak. I shook my head and put my serious face back on.

"No, no, just a lucky guess. Anyway, I need to know where I can find your Mentor, or if you know, Grandfa…" I stopped myself before I could say his name. "The head of house. Cain." He stared at me for a moment before answering.

"None of them are here. All the adults and students are in the city today. They won't be back until tomorrow." I frowned down at him.

"What for?" He shrugged.

"Nobody would tell us. Just that something big was gonna happen and they needed all the help they could get."  
"Then who's left here?"

"Just me and the rest of the kids." I rubbed my face, frustrated. Maggie's voice came through the headset.

"If you can get to the Head-guys place, maybe you could get some information on what's happening." I smiled and leaned down on my knees to get face to face with the frightened kid.

"Alright, now I need to leave, so you're going to put those headphones back in and forget I was ever here, okay?" He nodded quickly as I headed for the door, but stopped as I opened it, turning to the boy.

"Thanks for your help, Alex. And by the way, my name's Zachary Milos. I'll see you around cousin." His eyes widened at my name, but I was gone before he could react, closing the door behind me and making a beeline for Grandfather Cain's office.

I remembered most of the building, the memories of walking through these halls becoming more and more vivid as I jogged through them now. Remembering my Grandfather's office was much easier, considering how much time I spent there. Maggie's voice crackled through the headset.

"I'm guessing you know where to go?" I responded, not slowing my jog.

"Yeah, Cain's office is on the top floor, facing out the front." A moment later, I was at the stairs that led through the entire Mansion, stopping on each floor, but staying just as grand as it cut through the middle of the building, I scowled at the slope, seeing the top floor around 4 floors above me. I started climbing as Maggie's voice came through the headset.

"Everybody is on the bottom two floors, so you won't have to worry about running into anyone now."

"Yeah, I know. The children aren't allowed above the second floor. Students aren't allowed above the fourth floor without special permission, and the Adults control the top two floors." I stepped up onto the top floor, mainly just a lobby area, with the only other room being Grandfather Cain's office. I headed straight for the door on the other side of the room. When I opened the door, the familiar musty smell filling my nose. I looked around for a moment, the room just the same as it was when I was 10. Same bookcases filled with ancient tomes. Same giant desk the occupied the far side of the room. Same giant windows that illuminate the entire area. I scowled at the thought and went straight for the desk, pushing the chair to the side. I started pulling at drawers, looking for documents or anything that may give me information. All I found was desk supplies until I pulled at the main drawer and found it locked. I frowned. Everything must be in there, but where's the key? I looked through all the drawers again, but found no keys. When I searched the last one, I slammed it shut in frustration. It's just like that man to keep the only thing stopping me with him! Suddenly, Maggie's voice spoke up.

"Zach, we've got a car approaching the house." I stood up and looked out the window.

"What?!" That was when I saw the black sedan pull out of the road and onto the field area, parking. I watched as 3 people stepped out, two of them a couple years older than me, one of them older than the others. I cursed my luck.

"Fuck, that little brat called the others!" I thought back to Alex, but quickly pushed it out of my mind, going back to the drawer. I frowned, there was only one thing left I could do. I stepped towards it, raising up my foot and kicking the desk's handle. Luckily, the handle pushed into the drawer on my first try. I smiled and pulled the broken desk out, finding countless papers inside.

"Bingo." I looked outside to see the 3 people walking towards the house.

"Maggie, is there anything you can do to delay them?" There was a second of silence as I watched the three slowly walk to the house. Then, I saw a glint of silver and the boy on the right fell over, crying out in pain. The younger girl looked over at him, finding him already unconscious, but the older guy was looking up at the sky. I took that second to look through the papers, finding a lot of useless documents a couple assassination contracts. I looked through the assassination contracts, trying to find any similarities. I scowled as I pocketed the papers, all of the contracts from the same payer. The White Fang. I looked outside to see the girl lying on the ground, unconscious as well. The older guy looked like he was holding something between his hands before he threw it to the ground and stomped on top of it. Maggie's voice came through the headset.

"That guy destroyed my Drone, but I was able to knockout the other two." I had forgotten that her Wasps had stingers with poison.

"Alright, I can handle one guy. Thanks for the back up."

"No problem, and be careful." I chuckled but said nothing else as I sprinted out of the room. I headed straight for the stairs, jumping down them three at a time until I made it to the bottom floor. I put a straight face on and opened the front door, revealing the man studying his friends that were knocked out.

"They'll be fine. It was only paralysis after all." The guy jumped up and glared at me. That was when I recognized him. It was Lium, one of the cousins that I had trained with in my class. I stared him down.

"Why have you come here Zachary? We let you live, and you return the favor by attacking our home?" I stared down at him.

"I would have left you alone if you hadn't attacked the CCT. Active terrorism isn't really the Milos tradition, so what's up?" He frowned at me.

"You won't be able to stop what's coming." I shifted on my feet.

"And what is coming, Lium? What exactly are you guys planning?" He smiled devilishly at me.

"You'd like to know wouldn't you. Too bad I won't tell you. I wasn't sent here to give away our secrets. I was sent here to kill you once and for all." With the last word, he charged me. Lium was always a martial artist, never one to use weapons. As he sprinted at me, I took a couple steps forward, getting ready for a block, but just as He arrived, he slid under my block and sent three strong punches to my torso. I grunted in pain, but slammed my fists downward, straight into his arm. He jumped back, rubbing his arm.

"That's quite the punch you got there." I raised a hand, revealing the plated gauntlet.

"Steel does that to a body." With that, I took the offensive, trying for a punch to the chest. he blocked at the last second, holding my fists in his hands. For a second, we just grappled, trying to overpower the other, but to no avail. I took a chance and dropped my weight, letting him continue to push. He went over my head, but rolled to his feet behind me. We circled a second longer before I spoke.

"So what are you, 23 now? That means you must have graduated Cain's little 'school', huh?" He nodded.

"Over course, wasn't a problem for badass like me!" I tried to hide my scowl. Self Righteous Bastard.

"So who did you have to kill to make it happen?" His eyes darkened for half a second before they returned to their playful state.

"You wanna guess? I'll give you three tries." I glared at him.

"Whose life did you end?" He laughed, shrugging.

"You don't want to play my game? Why not? Afraid that your guesses will actually be RIGHT!" With the last word, he lunged forward, kicking at my feet. He had moved too quickly for me, and I fell to the ground. He tried to stomp at my head, but I rolled back, pulling it into a somersault that brought me to my feet. The second I was balanced, I lunged forward, flurrying punches at him, but he dodged and parried almost all of them, only a couple making contact. As a final blow, I reversed my momentum and turned a kick to his side. He easily caught my foot and pulled it towards him, letting me spin to the ground. I fell backwards to my knee, facing away from him. I tried not to yelp in pain as he pulled my head back by my hair, pulling me to my feet, but leaving me helpless. He whispered in my ear.

"I ended the life of little Veronica. Why she must've been 11 at the time. Too bad I had to strangle the life from her, just like you did our Menor." He spoke with such glee, that it seemed like he was happy at the thought of ending a little girls life. I was not though, I screamed in anger, flames escaping my body as they flowed into the air, a huge flash fire flowing straight from my body. Lium jumped back, even his natural affinity to fire couldn't handle that much heat. I turned around to face him, fire still surrounding me, scorching the grass around us. He covered his eyes with an arm, but didn't let up his smile.

"That's quite the power you've got there, really improved since you left!" I growled at him, flames flowing even more brightly. I charged him, sending many blows to his chest as he stood there, helpless against the bright light. I sent a final punch to his face, actively stopping his smile by knocking him out, sending him ten feet backwards as well. I stared at his body for a moment, but finding it not moving was enough for me to calm down, the flames putting themselves out in a matter of seconds, until I was surrounded only by blackened ground. I continued to stare at the body, until I looked up at the house. Scattering windows on the bottom two floors of the Mansion were the young faces of children, watching our fight. I gave every one I saw a long stare before I took three steps towards the house. I raised my right hand, letting it hold a bright flame. I had their attention alright.

"This fire marks the Milos Family! It gives us all our brands the day we were born! It gives all of us the power to fight! But what are you really fighting for really?! Dignity?! Honor?! The Milos Family lost those traits the second we started killing for money! You all know well enough that every time one of your cousins, Aunts and Uncles, Fathers and Mothers leave on those missions, they are taking a life! They are taking the lives of Hundreds, Thousands of people! The use this fire, RIGHT HERE-" I held my hand higher letting the flame light up a little more. "-To commit evil deeds against humanity, giving up their honor! You kids are different, though! You have not been tainted by the 'Teaching' that the Adults give the Teenagers! You can choose a different path! My Name is Zachary Milos, and I regained my Honor! I go by a simple code! Courage! Bravery! Integrity! It keeps me from turning to the evil that infested this household, and it might just do the same for you, so instead of using your fire for the gain of money! Use your fire for the gain of your INDEPENDENCE!" With that, I let the fire fly up before turning on my heel and leaving the field, the house, and the children behind.


	35. Chapter 35: Mountain Glenn

_**Amber's POV**_

I lied there on my bedroll for a while, not able to get any sleep. I closed my eyes, but there was now drowsiness to pull me down. After a while, I turned on my side, facing out the door to look out to the wasteland. I stared out at the distance until I heard Yang's voice.

"Blake. Are you awake?" I didn't bother to turn around, but I could still hear Blake's response.

"Yeah."

"Why do you think he asked us about being a Huntress? Like, what was he trying to say?"

"Maybe he was just curious."

"You think?" There was a second of silence before Blake said anything.

"No." Yang sighed tiredly.

"Weiss. Are you awake?" Even I cringed at her loud response.

"Of course I'm awake! You two are talking. And I think he….. When I said I wanted to honor my family's name, I meant it, but it's not what you think. I'm not stupid. I'm fully aware of what my father has done to the Schnee Dust Company. Since he took control, our business has operated at a moral gray area." Blake spoke sarcastically.

"That's putting it lightly." I could hear Weiss sit up.

"Which is why I feel the need to make things right! If I had taken a job in Atlas, it wouldn't have changed anything. My father was not the start of our name, and I refuse to let him be the end of it." She lied back down and a second later, Blake started talking.

"All my life I fought for what I thought was right. I had a partner named Adam, more of a Mentor really. He always assured me that what we were doing would make the world a better place, but of course, his idea of a perfect future turned out to be… not perfect for everyone. I joined the academy because I knew Huntsman and Huntresses were regarded as the most noble warriors in the world, always fighting for good, but I never really thought past that. When I leave the academy, what will I…. How can I induce so many years of hate?" She sounded on the verge of tears, but I knew she was too proud to let herself be broken down by bad memories. Yang spoke quietly.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out, you're not one to back down from a challenge, Blake." She responded with vigor.

"But I am! I do it all the time! When you learned I was a Faunus, I didn't know what to do, so I ran. When I realized my oldest partner had become a monster, I ran! Even my Semblance, I was born with the ability to leave behind a shadow of myself, an empty copy that takes the hit while I run away." I sat up, turning to them.

"You're a Faunus as well?" The three of them turned their heads to me in silence, obviously forgetting that I was there. Blake stared right at me, but when I returned the stare, she looked away.

"Yes, I am." She slowly undid the bow that she had on to reveal midnight black cat ears sprouting from her head. I stared at them for a moment before lying back down, staring up at the ceiling that bore a rose.

"I understand why you hide it, no need to explain anything to me." I stared up at the rose, thinking about Ruby. I turned my head to look at her. She was perched on a crumbling part of the building, looking out for danger. I heard Yang speak, and turned back to the three of them.

"You three have something that drives you." She turned over on her roll to look at us. "I've just kinda always gone with the flow, you know? And that's fine, I mean, that's who I am, but how long can I really do that for? I wanna be a Huntress, not really because I want to be a hero, but because I want the adventure. I want a life where I don't know what tomorrow will bring and that'll be a good thing. Being a Huntress just happens to line up with that. I'm not like Ruby, she's always wanted to be a Huntress. It's like she said, ever since she was a little kid she's dreamt about being the Heroes in the books. Helping people and saving the day, and never asking for anything else in return. Even when she couldn't fight, she knew that's what she wanted to do. That's why she trains so hard to get where she is today." Weiss sat up.

"Well, she's still just a kid." Blake sat up as well.

"She's only two years younger. We're all kids." Yang sighed a response.

"Well, not anymore. I mean, look where we are! In the middle of a Warzone and armed to the teeth?"

"It's the life we chose." Blake said. Weiss raised a hand.

"It's a job. We all had this romanticized vision of being a Huntress in our heads, but at the end of the day, it's a job to protect the people and whatever we want will have to come second." I smiled down at her.

"It's a job that's needed throughout the Kingdom." They chuckled, continuing to talk, but I stayed out of it from that point on, finally able to close my eyes and get some sleep.

/

I slowly woke up from Yang's voice.

"Hey, where's Ruby?" I sat up slowly, seeing Blake and Weiss waking up as well. Suddenly, Dr. Oobleck poked his head out from behind one of the walls.

"Huh?" Zwei came running through the doorway to pant in front of me.  
"Zwei?" I stood up with the dog in my hands. Blake stood as well.

"What's going on?" She said. Oobleck didn't wait a second with his response.

"Grab your weapons. Your leader may be in trouble." I frowned and dropped Zwei to the ground. I kneeled down to look at him.

"Can you take us to Ruby?" He barked once in response and ran out the door he came from. I turned to the others as Oobleck spoke.

"No time to lose, we must follow that Canine!" We ran out the door, following the dog as he took us down a couple blocks of the city. We had our weapons at the ready, but no Grimm came to challenge us. Eventually, Zwei stopped at a large hole in the ground, and sniffed the object next to it.

"Ruby's Scythe!" Yang exclaimed in surprise. Weiss stood over the hole, looking down at the darkness.

"Do you think she fell?" Oobleck zipped next to her.

"Fell?" She pointed down the hole.

"Down there." He looked down as well.

"Oh my….. Of course. Of course, of course, of course, course!" Blake spoke nervously.

"What is it?!" He started pacing.

"How could I be so stupid!" Yang raised her hands worryingly.

"Dr. Oobleck, what's wrong?!" He got right in her face.

"Mountain Glenn! Yes, exponential fail that was inevitably disused by increases of Grimm!" He jumped in Blake's face. "Previously home to thousands of people!" He then got in my face. "Working people, doing things in the city, the main city." He got in Blake's face again. "Developed a subway system to the inner city!" He jumped in Weiss's face. "Grimm attacks increased. Population in danger, people looking for shelter!" He jumped in my face again. "City evacuates to the subway tunnels and what do they find?!" He kneeled down to get in Zwei's face. "The southeast quadrant of Valve is known for Pot holes and Deep Caves!" Yang started getting scared.

"Doc, what are you saying?!" He jumped up in her face again.

"My dear we are not just looking for an underground Crime Network, we're looking for an UNDERGROUND CRIME NETWORK!" Blake spoke.

"They've been working in caves?" Oobleck stepped back beside the hole.

"No, no. Mountain Glenn's fails it's first serious attempt at expansion. It worked for a short period of time, due to the aggression in their defense and the unique transportation. The city had an elaborate subway system to carry it's citizens carefully from the new territory, into the main kingdom! Sadly, without the many natural barriers Valve has to protect its borders Mountain Glenn was doomed from the start! As the end grew near, the citizens of the territory made one last attempt at survival. They took up shelter beneath the city, in the massive caves they had cleared out for the subway, and they had cut themselves off from the surface." Yang questioned him hesitantly.

"Like an underground village?" He nodded.

"In a matter of speaking, yes. A Safe Haven until an explosion opened the mouth of another Cavern filled with subterranean Grimm." I shuddered.

"A Massacre." He nodded.

"After that, the kingdom officially sealed off the tunnels, creating the worlds largest Tomb." We all looked down the hole, but Oobleck continued.

"If Ruby is down there." He pulled out his Thermos, and as he did, it expanded into a large club. "We must find her." There was silence between us for a moment, until I walked right to the edge of the hole.

"One way to do that." The wings from my back extended quickly as I flapped them once, I was in the air. I would've gone farther if Weiss hadn't pulled me back to the ground by my arm.

"Woah there. Running into enemy territory alone isn't exactly the smartest idea." I flapped above them, only held down by Weiss at this point.

"This is the fastest way." Blake shook her head.

"But not the smartest way." I scowled but, came back to the ground, the draft from my Semblance dying down. I put my hands on my hips.

"Look, I can carry one of you girls down myself. The two of us can take the initiative and look for Ruby, the rest of you can find a Subway tunnel and be back up. Good idea, or no?" They stared at me for a second before Oobleck straightened up.

"Normally I wouldn't agree with splitting up, but what he proposes is the most sensible thing to do at the moment." He pulled out a map from one of his pockets. "I can take the other two girls to the nearest subway opening. Who will you take with you as Recon?" I looked at the girls.

"Weiss, you're the smallest out of the three of you." She yelled angrily.

"Hey!" I raised a hand to silence her.

"I'm saying you'll be the easiest to carry. You ready to save Ruby?" She nodded.

"Yes, let's go." I didn't wait a second as I let my wings take me forward. I flew around her, and held her by the waist from the back. She cried out in alarm when I took her a couple tens of feet in the air. Then, I switched the air flow around me and tucked my wings around the two of us for safety, plummeting headfirst towards the ground. Weiss started to cry out again, but was silenced as we entered the hole, the darkness now surrounding us. We continued to fall, the walls around us staying only a couple feet around, until I saw an opening ahead. I looked down to see Weiss with her eyes closed shut, clinging to my arm. I smiled as we entered the opening. I let my wings fling out to catch the wind and bring us into a small glide before I started flapping, to keep us hovering. I looked down to see Weiss had her eyes still closed.

"You know, the view is better when you can see it." She shook her head for half a second before she started to, very slowly open her eyes to look out. When her eyes were fully open, she gawked for a moment at the broken underground city, train cars filling the streets instead of cars. Then she looked down and clinged to my arm even tighter. I pulled her closer to me as I started to slowly bring us down to the ground.

"I got you, don't worry." She continued to cling to me until our feet touched the ground. Suddenly, she wanted to be as far away from me as possible, flying out of my hands as she brushed off her sleeves. I stared at her for a moment before I looked over the edge of the building we landed on. The train cars we saw before weren't actually deserted, but had soldiers surrounding them, filling them with large objects. I could hear one man over the rest, his voice echoing out through the cavern.

"Haha, man. You know, Perry, I really did need this!" Weiss frowned as she looked over the edge.

"I recognize that voice. That's Torchwick." Suddenly, we heard the sound of a sonic boom and a flash of red below us. Weiss and I looked at each other, before we studied the flash until we saw Ruby running away. I smiled at her until she was suddenly pulled back, and dragged to a man in a white suit down below, standing next to an older man in an orange suit. Behind them were a couple more of the White Fang Soldiers, and some other people wearing mainly black and orange. I frowned at the older man, studying him. _Why does he look so familiar?_ I stared at him for a couple more seconds until there was a loud explosion coming from a couple blocks away. I looked at Weiss.

"That's our cue. You ready?" She nodded as another explosion was heard. the two of us jumped down from the apartment building together. Weiss just let herself fall, a black glyph glowing at the bottom of the building, I took no chances though, and let my wings glide me to the bottom. The two of landed right in front of Torachwick and the man, Ruby was on the floor below them. I held the hilt of my sword, Weiss already had hers out and was in a combat ready position. Torchwick chuckled.

"Well, if it isn't Ice Queen and… Who the heck are you?" I glared at him. The other man was studying me carefully. I stared at him for a moment before I glanced at Weiss.

"Weiss, get Ruby. I'll catch up." She nodded in her stance. I got down a little farther in my stance, concentrating my Aura.

"Hey, wait a sec. What's that runt doing?!" I ignored Torchwick as I continued to channel my Aura, letting my Semblance create a ring of pressurized air around me. At the last second I looked up, a fighting light in my eyes.

"Ruby, get down!" She yelped and put her hands over her head as I yelled out, my Semblance releasing the air around me at Torchwick and his men. They all flew back, landing in a big pile at least 15-20 feet in front of me. I blinked my eyes for a second, trying to get rid of the black dots that scattered my vision as I looked up. Ruby and Weiss were running to the others as they fought off the soldiers of the White Fang, and the scattered soldier in Black and Orange, seemingly commanding the others. I turned around, and stumbled a run towards the girls. The attack really took a bite out of my Aura. I shook my head and increased my speed, catching up with the girls.


	36. Chapter 36: No Brakes

**Hey, guys! I would like to say a couple things before this chapter, just to clear some questions. First off, Amber's Semblance is control over Air, wind, and the likes. That is why he can do all that with the draft and pressured air and stuff. Second, yes I am running out of Canon, but I do have many ideas that will play into the continuation of the story, like a personal Arc of the show. When RWBY Volume 3 does come out, I'm not really sure what my plan is gonna be, but what I may do is continue the story through my Arc after Volume 2 in ANOTHER story, and leave this one be for now, continuing this elsewhere. If this is what I decide to do, there will be a chapter at the end of the Canon that will point you all in the direction of the rest of the story. Next, I would like to thank the most helpful reader that I've ever had, SupportTheTeam. He has provided many OCs that will be taking place in my Arc(As well as Amber, btw), and through doing so has helped me piece together what that Arc will be about. If everybody would give him a huge round of applause, that'd be great! I won't hold you any longer, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

_**Amber's POV**_

I jogged over to the others, a couple feet behind Ruby and Weiss. They held to each other as they ran, the soldiers behind us getting up and taking fire. Torchwick's voice could be heard over the sound of the battle.

"SOMEBODY KILL THEM!" Shots rang out from the line that formed around him, as well as the man's flare gun-like weapon. We were almost to the others, but four men got in front of us, rifles aimed at our chests. Weiss and Ruby came to a stop, and I ran up to stand beside them, Weiss and I brandishing our weapons. Suddenly, there was a loud bang and all four of the faunus went flying over us and into a nearby building. We all say Yang standing where they were before, her hands held out to her sister.

"Ruby!" She sped right into her sister's arms and they hugged for a moment. I gruffly spoke, still heavily breathing.

"Everybody alright?" Ruby jumped out of her sisters arms.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, but listen! Torchwicks got all sorts of weapons and robots back there!" Blake spoke with a surprised tone, bringing out Crescent Rose for Ruby.

"What?!" She nodded.

"Androids, Mechs, their all loaded up on the train cars." Oobleck waved off her idea.

"Ah that's ridiculous, these tunnels are sealed! The tracks lead to a dead end." We heard a loud voice from above us.

"GET TO YOUR PLACES WE ARE LEAVING NOW!" Torchwick yelled into the mic. The train that was being loaded started giving off smoke, starting up the engines. The large vehicle started slowly departing. Yang raised her hands with an annoyed face.

"Well, it looks like they're going somewhere!" Ruby pulled out her Scroll.

"We need back-up, I'm calling Zach and Jaune." Both of their faces appeared on her screen, but a large "Low Signal" sign appeared in front of it. "I can't get through!" I stood up, my breathing starting to finally even out.

"So what's the plan?" Oobleck spoke quietly.

"I believe we only have one option." Ruby pulled her weapon to the form of a sniper and looked towards the tunnels.

"We're stopping that Train."

* * *

This time, I didn't have to carry Weiss to the Train car by flight, but got Yang. Ruby was fast enough with her Semblance, Weiss and Blake were already fast as it is adding onto the Speed Glyphs that Weiss kept putting under their feet, and The Doctor, was somehow just speeding along with little effort, no help needed. I got to carry Yang Bridal style, as I flew at an unnaturally fast pace. The only way that I could keep up with the others(And the train) was if I used my Semblance to create a strong wind the glide on, and let me tell you, that was not helping my Aura. It was low as it is with the blast I had used earlier, now this continual usage was just wearing me down. Luckily, Yang didn't notice my heavy breathing, and unlike Weiss, had her eyes wide open, taking in the exhilaration that comes from flying at these speeds. We sped along the right side of the train until all 6 of us jumped on the caboose at the same time, ready for combat. We heard a soldier up ahead on the car, but before he could report to the others, The Doctor just ran forward and whacked him on the head with his weapon. He turned to the five of us. The girls all looked fine, but I was sweating a monsoon where I stood, trying to steady my breathing. He gave me a worrying look.

"Amber, are you quite alright?" I nodded my head.

"Yeah, yeah. Just a bit tapped out, that's all." He lowered his head, letting his eyes be seen over his glasses.

"Why, student, have you not been monitoring your Aura Levels on your Scroll." I stared at him for a second with a confused face until I brought out the device from a pocket within my robe. I turned it on, and sure enough, there was a large bar with my face above it, though the bar was yellow, in the 40s. I looked up, putting my scroll back in my pocket.

"Yeah, I've still got pretty high levels, I'll be fine." He stared at me before nodding.

"Good, good. Now, to the roof!" He zipped over to a ladder on the side of the car and started climbing up. The girls gave me a second with a concerned look, obviously knowing that I had lied about my levels, but ran over to the ladder. I watched them go, but notice Blake had stayed behind, watching me. I rolled my shoulders, letting them crack around in my joints before looking at the girl.

"I'll be fine, now we need to get moving."She nodded and started for the ladder, my following close behind. When we breached the top, Weiss had the emergency door on the top of the train open looking down into the car we were in. She looked up at Oobleck.

"Uhhh, Professor?" He leaned over her.

"Doctor." She pointed in the hatch.

"What's that?" We all looked down the hatch to see machine with wires sticking out of it. The Man kneeled down to get a closer look.

"That, my dear, appears to be a bomb." He said it with such a calm demeanor that we all jumped back in fear. Ruby pointed up the train.

"We've got Baddies!" We all looked where she was pointing to see a large group of soldiers walking towards us with even more climbing up the side. Oobleck looked up at her.

"Well I didn't expect them to go-" The bomb that was in the car started flashing red and making noises. The Doctor looked down at it with disgust. "Easy on us." He stood up straight, raising a finger in the air. "Time to go!" The five of us started jumping to the next car(My picking up Zwei as I made the jump), but he stopped Blake. "Blake, detach the Caboose, it will kill us all!" She nodded in affirmative.

"On it!" The Doctor jumped over to us, while Blake jumped down between the cars. After a second, the car started to slow down and fall behind us. We heard Blakes voice from below. "It decoupled itself!" The Doctor looked down at her.

"What?!" Yang leaned over as well.

"I guess they _really _don't want us on this train." The Caboose came to almost a stop until it exploded, leaving a bit of destruction to the tunnel. Oobleck shook his head.

"That's not good." I opened the hatch to the car we were on, revealing another bomb. Ruby spoke worryingly.

"Uhh, neither is this."

"Another bomb?!" Blake exclaimed. Oobleck started jumping the cars until he got one car ahead of us, opening the hatch. After a moment of horror crossed his face, he turned to us.

"They all have bombs!" The one that we were standing on suddenly started flashing. We looked at each other in fear until the car detached, starting to leave us behind. We all ran to jump the distance. I picked up Zwei again, for the jump looked a little too far for the little guy. When we all turned around to look at the car fall behind, Yang stomped her foot with a frustrated voice.

"This doesn't make sense!" We all looked to see the Faunus soldiers getting closer, now only a couple cars away. One of the soldiers popped her head out of one of the hatches and pointed at us.

"Get the humans!" Team RWBY and I all got into combat ready positions, lined up on our car to fend them off. One by one, we all rushed forward, taking out as many of the men as we could on the way. Flashing forward, Ruby made the final run, taking out more than the rest of us in a single blow. We all turned to see the Doctor still on the last car, watching the detached car as it exploded, leaving a few gaping holes to the world above. I squinted my eyes to see countless Grimm of different varieties fall onto the tracks and start chasing the train. I glared at the approaching monsters.

"That is a lot of Grimm." Oobleck turned around and yelled at us.

"They're leading Grimm to the city!" Even I flinched at the thought of that many Grimm, terrorizing the city. Weiss cried out.

"What?!" He raised his hands.

"It's the cars! The detach and explode creating openings for the Grimm!" I shook my head, horrified.

"That's insane!" He yelled out again, starting to jog towards us.

"We have to hurry!" He pointed to Blake, Weiss, Yang, and I.

"You four, go below and try to stop those bombs!" Ruby yelled back.

"What about us?" He put his hands on his hips.

"We're going to stop this train." Ruby rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I know. I said that earlier." We all ignored her as we continued to run, trying to make it to the engine room. Way ahead of us, near the beginning, We started to see Mechs jump up and on top of the train, running back at us. I nodded to the girls, and we slipped down into the car we were on, leaving the mechs to Ruby, Oobleck, and Zwei. We all dropped the floor, looking for danger. Yang sighed.

"I guess this is what we trained for." Weiss pulled two mags out of her pocket. She held them out to Blake and me.

"Here, these should help you." We both took ours. I looked down at the mag to see different colored bullets inside. I glanced up at her as I took the clip out of the gun in the hilt of my sword, replacing it with this one. She rolled her eyes.

"Dust Bullets." I nodded in understanding.

"Oh." With that, we started running forward, towards the door to the next car, but before we could make it halfway, a girl fell down from the ceiling in front of us. We all stopped, facing her. She was wearing comfortable clothing, mostly brown, pink, and white. Yang was glaring at her with flames in her eyes.

"You three go on ahead. This one's mine." Weiss, Blake, and I didn't question her, but instead kept running to the door. The girl made a move to stop us, but was forced to dodge out of the way of Yang's shot before she could. We slipped through the door, and the last glance I saw was Yang staring down at her in anger before the door closed. I didn't stop though, and ran with the girls. By this point, my breathing had started getting a little irregular again, my Aura deprivation catching up to me, but I didn't let it stop me, I couldn't. This was my test to get into Beacon, my initiation as Ozpin called it, so I couldn't mess up. We continued to run until we could hear the scratching of metal on metal ahead. The three of us looked at each other with confused look until we saw the man. He looked like he was wearing a variation of the White Fang Uniform, but it had no sleeves, and he was carrying around an enormous chainsaw instead of the standard weaponry. Weiss spoke to us.

"You two go on ahead." Blake responded quickly.

"Got it!" I could hear the man chuckled under his mask as we got closer, but just before we got to him, Weiss ran ahead and parried his weapon, giving Blake and I the chance to swerve around him and to the door. I turned as we ran through the door, just to see Weiss's smile as the man started getting back up from the attack she just dealt out. The door closed before I could see anything else. We turned to look at the car, now just before the engine room, to find to people. The man in the Orange Suit and Torchwick. We glared at them with ferocity. My breath was heavy now, sweat starting to once again cover my forehead. Torchwick was spinning his cane fearlessly, while the other man just stood with his hands behind his back, a cold frown watching me. Torachwick spoke happily.

"Hello, Kitty-cat. You miss me? You know we really got to stop meeting like this, people are gonna talk." I could feel the cold from her glare from where I was standing. I stared at the man in orange, but I spoke to Blake.

"Don't let him get in your head." I couldn't hear her response, but instead yelled out to the men.

"And who are you supposed to be? Last time we checked, it was Torchwick running the White Fang!" The man in the suit gave a tiny smile as I heaved a breath after that little speech, but it only survived for a millisecond, until the frown took over again. He spoke loudly, with a deep voice.

"You really are him, aren't you, Little Bird?" I wiped the sweat off my head with my sleeve.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" He shook his head, tutting his tongue.

"Now, now, I'm sure Abel wouldn't have taught you to speak like that would he? My brother was no fan of such nonsense." I was nearly knocked off my feet by his words. The glare on my face turning into nothing more than a surprised blankness. _What?! Is this true?!_ I put the glare back on my face.

"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?!" He shook his head again, mocking disappointment.

"Why did my brother have to be such a fool? Raising a child like you for the wings on your back?" He started pacing now. Torchwick was just leaning back on his heels, listening to all this. Blake continued to stare at the man in white, but glanced at me from time to time. "I gave him another option. Give the wings to a more capable suitor, but no, he had to go off and raise little baby Amber. What an idiot." He turned and looked at me with gleaming eyes. "I forgot to ask. How's the old sod doing? He must be 87 now, a unimaginable age for a man that would refuse modern doctors, much less medicine that wasn't an herb." I glared at him, but my mind was still flowing with questions. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts, but to no avail. I looked at him with a fiercer eye.

"My Master died only days ago, if you must know." He smiled, the first full smiled he had given this entire time.

"Too bad I never got to do it myself." With that last word, I charged, my wings unfurling from my back with a snapping motion as the flapped me forward with even more speed to attack with. My sword was in it's sheath at right as I got close, I pulled the trigger, forcing it out of the sheath with incredible speed, but something was different. The sword that came out was on fire! Time seemed to slow down as I swung my sword at his midsection, my charge being so fast that he was still standing up straight. My sword inched closer and closer to him, until it stopped. My eyes widened in surprise as with a quick motion, the man had somehow grabbed my wrist with strong hands,snapped it down, forcing the sword out of my hand, flipping it into my hand, and then pushing me past him, letting my momentum take me along. The millisecond of surprise was all I had before I spun in a somersault, turning to face him as I flew away, and pulling my wings in my back. I slammed my feet into the ground, sliding to a stop only ten feet away from the man, but now, he was holding my weapon at me, but this time, it was flaming, the metal literally on fire. Not only that, but the man's arm was also aflame, his sleeve lit with the light, but he didn't faze from his stance, glaring at me behind my own sword. With a single motion, he stood back up straight and threw my sword at my feet. I stared at him with awe as he pat the flames out on his arm. When they were all gone, his sleeve was destroyed, showing a tan skin. He was obviously out of my league on major levels, there was no way I could take this man. I could hear the fighting of Blake and Torchwick beside me, but my sight was on the man. He suddenly spoke out.

"Are you going to pick up your sword or are you just going to stand there?" I shook my head to clear my thoughts again, leaning down to pick up the sword, now without the flames, for they just dispersed themselves as he threw it. I held it at my side, ready to fight as he stood there, again, just straight up. He knew he could beat me no matter what I did, so he obviously didn't bother trying. Suddenly the smiled perked on his lips again, now very slight. His eyes were still very cold.

"I have a splendid idea! My brother trained his Bird here to fight us, but I trained an Angel of my own." His eyes turned to look behind me and I heard the door open from the engine room. I turned my head to the left, to look at the new enemy, but to still be ready for the greater threat in front of me. Someone walked through the door, a man probably, but I could really tell because of the armor. From head to toe, sleek metal framed the entire man. His helmet opened at the front only at the eyes, where I could see two bright green eyes staring at me. On his head were two armored horns. That wasn't the thing that made my spine tingle, or my legs quiver only slightly. The most scary thing was the large set of mechanical wings on his back. They looked like Eagle's wings, mechanical feathers and everything. I stared at him behind me as he walked over. He hadn't yet pulled the sword from it's sheath, but I knew that he could pull that longsword out at any moment. With slow movement, I turned around to look at him, face to face. He stopped walking and staring back at me, only ten feet away. Suddenly, Torachwick went flying past me and into the door that the winged person had just walked out of, falling to the floor beside him. He started to get up, but Blake was fast as she ran past me, placing a foot on his chest, and her sword at his throat. The two of us just stared at the two of them, any spark setting off our battle. The Man in orange's voice spoke behind me.

"Now, we have quite the predicament, do we Torchwick?" I could hear him chuckle from where he was on the ground.

"Yep, I would so say, buddy. Now could you two help me out here?" The armored person looked to the suited man for approval. I turned my head just to see his nod. Suddenly, the sword was out from the sheath and under Blake's chin. The three of them stood there in silence. I turned to the man in orange.

"You obviously control that… that thing. If you tell it to back off from Blake, then she will back off from Torchwick." Blake didn't say anything, but I could practically hear her cursing at me in her head. The man crossed his arms with interest.

"You wish to bargain with me?" I shook my head, taking a different route. He was obviously not swayed with persuasion.

"No, I wish to warn you. With a single movement, I could kill that thing and free my friend from her bonds to kill your friend. That's two of your allies dead, and none of mine."

"I'm not a thing!" The voice came from the armor. A boys voice, not deep enough to be a mans, maybe a teenager. "I am Agni, a free Faunus thanks to these men!" I didn't look back at him, but instead continued to stare at the man. He could either call my bluff and order Agni to slit Blake's throat, or back off and let them live. It shouldn't have been much of a choice, I was obviously still in no way to fight, and my friend was trapped. After a few silent moments, the man raised a hand. Agni's eyes looked at it in disbelief.

"Are you sure, sir?" He nodded.

" Of course." He waited a moment, and with a swift flourish, the longsword was back in its sheath. Blake still stood over Torchwick as Agni walked over to the man, standing beside him. He put a hand on the boys armored shoulder.

"I believe it's time we left." Agni nodded and turned to the side of the car. He walked over to a door on the side of the car and opened it up for the man. He walked through it and disappeared as the train sped forward. Agni turned to look at me one last time.

"We will meet again, Amber. And next time, it will be your life that is taken, not his." He pointed at Blake and Torchwick. I glanced at them, and when I turned back, he was gone. I stared at the door for half a second before Weiss came flying through the door to our car, I ran over to her as she slammed to the floor.

"Weiss!" I turned to the door to see the man with the chainsaw walk through it. I looked up at him helplessly. I was in no shape to fight, and neither was Weiss. I turned to Blake, who was looking back at us. With one glance, she nodded her head, kicking Torchwick in the head, knocking him out. Without a second to lose, she ran over to us parrying the chainsaw that would have killed the two of us. With that, I pulled Weiss over my shoulder and ran to the rooftop hatch, bringing her up the top. Blake wasn't far behind and climbed up right after we did. I lifted my shoulder a bit ,jostling Weiss out of her daze. She lifted her head to see she was safe and away from the White Fang Lieutenant. She sighed as she stood on her own, rummaged through the pockets in her skirt until she pulled out a single vial. I looked at it tiredly.

"What's that?" She looked at me, holding up the vial.

"This is an Emergency Use Aura Revitalizer. It'll fill up anyone's Aura all the way." She looked at me. "or two people half the way." I raised my hands with an annoyed look.

"You had this all along?!" She rolled her eyes as she popped the cork off.

"I said Emergency Use only!" She quickly chugged half the contents, passing the bottle to me. I look down at the green serum, and without a second thought, drank the rest. Just as it went down my throat, I started feeling better. My energy started coming back. I pulled out my Scroll to see that my Aura was increasing, already past the 50 percent line, but slowing down until it stopped at about 65. I smiled at Weiss, he looking much better as well.

"Thanks, I needed that." She nodded back as Yang and Ruby ran over to the three of us. We all looked to the head of the train to see a huge wall a couple hundred feet ahead. We all bore horrified expressions, the thought of the White Fang's mission succeeding entering our minds. Blake put her hands on her hips in a frustrated way.

"What do we do?!" I looked at the girls just in time to see Weiss and Ruby nod to each other. Weiss started flourishing her Rapier around until a large glyph appeared at our feet, and when she plunged her sword into the trains roof, a large ice pod appeared around us. I looked around in shock, the amount of power this must have taken, but when I looked at her, she looked like it was nothing. My awe was short lived, when the train collided with the wall.

**AND SCENE! Things are starting to get rather crazy with the plot twists that appeared in this episode, but it shall all be explained in the future. Who is this Man in the Orange Suit? I dropped many hints on who he is in the past couple chapters, so it should probably be obvious who he is, but who is this other person? Agni, did he say his name was? I would like to thank SupportTheTeam for Agni's existence, and would like to say that he will become more apparent in future chapters. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and good night!**


	37. Chapter 37: Breach

_**Zachary's POV**_

"When we get back to Beacon, let me do the talking." Maggie and I were on the way back to school in the Bullhead. We had called it back about 30 minutes ago, and they had just picked us up. The sun was hanging low in the sky and would probably be dark by the time we get back. Maggie turned to look at me.

"What for?" I wringed my hands for a second before I answered.

"The mission we were sent on didn't exactly involve the Milos Mansion, and I'd like to keep that on the down low." She stared at me, but didn't say anything. "I mean, Professor Ozpin obviously wanted me to check out the Mansion today of all days, considering nobody was there. I was going to sneak in anyway, he just gave me a safer opportunity." She continued to stare silently at me until she looked forward and pulled her hair back.

"Fine, whatever." She was silent for the rest of the trip, despite my attempts at trying to start a conversation.

* * *

Maggie and I stood side by side as the Elevator took us up to Ozpin's office. Maggie had dropped off all her gear in her room, other than the laptop she had brought along, which she had tucked safely under her arm. The doors dinged open to reveal the lobby area of his office, the doors leading to him on the other side of the room. We walked over to the doors and I ratted quickly on them. Ozpin's voice came from inside the office.

"Come in!" Maggie and I walked in to find Ozpin, as always, sitting behind that large desk. I raised a hand as we walked over.

"Hey, Ozpin. We finished up the mission and came to report." He nodded and looked at me.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" I stared at him, weighing the question in my mind before nodding.

"Yes, we did." After a moments silence, Maggie opened up her Laptop. She stepped forward as she started scrolling around on the mousepad.

"I took the liberty of snapping a couple photos of the Nevermore's corpse." He nodded.

"Yes, The Nevermore. You two were capable of putting it down?" He spoke almost as if he had forgotten the mission we were actually sent to complete. I nodded.

"It was a tough fight, but we took it out." Maggie finally found what she was looking for on the computer and gave it to Ozpin. He scrolled through the photos for a moment before handing the laptop back.

"Very good, both of you. Not many Hunters in Training can claim they have taken down an Adult Nevermore." He lower his head, looking at me over his glasses. "Much less two." He stared at more for a couple seconds before waving his hand to dismiss us. "Thank you for your effort. You may go." Maggie nodded and left the room, but I stayed behind.

"Actually, sir, I was hoping I could get a status report on Team RWBY's current mission. I can't imagine they have returned yet." He nodded, obviously prepared for the question.

"Yes, they are still in Quadrant 5, clearing Grimm with Dr. Oobleck." I raised my eyebrows at that.

"The Hunter they were sent with was Professor Oobleck? Are you assured of their safety? I mean, he doesn't seem like much of the fighting sort." He gave me a tired look.

"Mr. Milos, you should not so easily judge people by the way they are. Team RWBY, and Amber for that matter, are in good hands." I stared at him.

"Are you sure? If you want, I could head down to that Quadrant as back-up to help take out some of the Grimm." He smiled.

"Zachary, I admire your determination to help your Teams, but they simply are in no need of assistance at this time. All I ask of you at this moment is to wait for their return, which will most likely be in a couple of days." I gulped before nodding my head.

"Alright, alright. I'll stop worrying. I'll see you tomorrow." He nodded back with a smile.

"Of course." With that, I left, heading back to my Dorm. When I walked through the door, I felt the exhaustion I must have been carrying for the past hour. I trudged straight to my room, taking off only my shirt, shoes, and watch as I plopped down on the bed. I stared up at the ceiling for a couple of seconds before I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

I opened my eyes to see complete darkness. I sighed and got up.

"Aw shit, this again?" I looked around for a moment, searching for the white light, but scared to find it. Every time I had these dreams, something happened, and that something, on record, wasn't going to be good. I stood there for what felt like an hour, but no light or people came into view. I started getting confused and yelled out.

"Uhh, hello? Anybody going to come out?" The answer came a minute later with the bright light. I came from behind me, so I turned to get a view of the four silhouettes. Now, two of the people were clear for me to see, My Uncle and Sayo. The other two remained shadows. They appeared to be going in order from right to left, so I wasn't surprised when the third person started walking towards me. Just like last time, The person came into better view as they got closer. At first, I could tell that he was a stocky body builder guy. Then, I noticed the buzz cut and the light stubble across his face. I recognized the man by the armor he wore, an old fashioned suit that cover much, but not all of his body. I stared at him as he approached, not scared, nor happy to see him. He stopped a little farther than the other two stopped, about 8 feet away. I stared at the man I killed protecting Pyrrha, and he returned in suit. We watched each other in silence before I couldn't stand it any longer and spoke.

"So, what do you want to warn me about this time?" The man, of course, did not answer. He only gave me a cold stare. I sighed finally.

"Look, I know you're already dead, and this is all a figment of my imagination, but I gotta say it. I'm sorry." I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. I was going to say more, but when I opened my eyes, the man, the light, everything was gone.

* * *

I opened my eyes quickly as I heard a loud noise. I jumped into sitting position, but calmed down when I realized it was only my Scroll. I grumbled as I reached into my pants pocket and pulled out the device. I stopped mumbling when I saw Ruby's face as the caller, Jaune's face in the corner as a group call. I quickly answered, putting it to my ear, only to pull it away as a bunch of loud noises came through, covered by static. The sound only lasted a couple seconds before Ruby's line went dead. I stared at the Scroll for a second until I noticed that Jaune was still in the call as well. I quickly put it to my ear.

"Jaune?" After a second of rumbling on the line, Jaune's voice came through.

"Uhh, yeah?" I was silent for a second, thinking about what to say before I pulled my feet to the floor.

"Meet me outside your dorm, I'll be there in a sec."

"Should I wake up the others?" I thought for a second before responding.

"No, I just need to talk to you." With that, I heard a grumbling of affirmative before the line went dead. I quickly threw on the shirt I had and jogged over to Team JNPR's Dorm. When I got there, Jaune was leaning against the wall in his onesie. I sighed, still unable to believe that Pyrrha had let him keep that, but when he heard me, he looked up. The second he laid eyes on me, he was off the wall.

"What? What's going on?" He shook his head.

"Why are you in your combat gear?" I looked down before punching him in the arm.

"Really? This is happening and you are wondering how I sleep?" He shrugged before his face got serious.

"What do you think it was?" I shook my head.

"I'm not sure, but you heard it. It couldn't have been good." He nodded.

"Yeah, I'm not feeling great about it, but what do you suggest we do?" I stared at him for a second before I looked down.

"I'm not sure. There's no way Ozpin is going to let us get a Bullhead down to Quadrant 5 at-" I looked down at my Scroll. "4:45 in the morning." He nodded, yawning.

"I don't know, but we should get back to bed. Our Departure is in a couple hours, and I don't want to be tired." I nodded. Team JNPR was going out of Valve tomorrow. I had forgotten about that. Suddenly, Jaune's dorm door opened to reveal Pyrrha standing there in her pyjamas, rubbing her eyes.

"Jaune, what are you- Oh, Zach. What's going on?" I looked at Jaune before I shook my head.

"Nothing right now, We'll get to it when you guys are leaving. I'll show you guys off. Goodnight, guys." They nodded their goodbyes and headed back in their room, as I walked back to mine.

* * *

_**Amber's POV**_

I slowly opened my eyes, but all I could see was the setting of dust from the explosion. I started hearing sirens above, but all I could focus on was trying to get up. Everything hurt as I slowly brought myself up to sitting. I looked around to see Team RWBY not to far off, but when I looked around, all I saw was the eyes of people. A crowd that had gathered to look at the wreckage. I stumbled over to the nearest crowd, and as I exited the dust, there was a collective gasp. I looked at all of them before I raised my voice as loud as I could get it.

"Get out of here now! There's Gri-!" I was cut off by the screech of countless Grimm as they swarmed out of the hole in the ground, instantly aggroed on the huge crowd. I turned to the girls to see them getting up and making their way to a higher platform. I ran over to where they were headed and meeted them there. There were hundreds of them, surrounding the five of us and more chasing down the innocents. We got in a circle and got ready for a fight. I spoke over the growls of the beasts.

"Anybody have a plan?"

"Kill as many of them as we can?" Yang shouted out. I smiled.

"Sounds good to me." With that, we all charged from our cover and attacked the monsters we were facing. I sprung out my wings and lifted an up breeze to catch them and bring me flying up. While mid air, I flipped backwards until I was directly above the group, and with a single flap, I was flying to the ground. I pulled my feet below my body just as I slammed into the ground, my Aura protecting me from damage, but the wreckage and wind blowing the Grimm far back. I sped around, slicing from Grimm to Grimm as they flew back until all of them were dead, their corpses flying into walls and buildings. I looked around at the wreckage for only a second before I continued the fight.

* * *

_**Zachary's POV**_

"I'm sure they're fine." I walked alongside Team JNPR as they made their way to the Bullheads. I glanced at Pyrrha.

"You think so?" Nora started skipping ahead.

"Probably a butt dial." Ren walked behind her, unmoved by her childish nature.

"Team RWBY has always performed exceptionally well. We should focus on our own mission." Nora sped back happily.

"We're gonna be deputies!" Jaune, unlike the others, was also worried about it.

"I don't know. I just got this feeling like I- I don't know." I put a hand on his shoulder, looking out at Valve below us.

"I know how you're feeling, man." Pyrrha turned to us.

"Guys, I-" She was cut off by sirens coming from the city. We all looked down there in confusion until the sirens started playing at Beacon as well. I looked around in confusion, but was stopped by Jaune speaking to his Teammates.

"We're changing our mission, everybody on board." He turned to me. "Zach, you with us?" I stared at him for half a second, weighing the question before I shook my head.

"No, go ahead of me. I'm gonna go get Maggie and we'll meet you there." He nodded.

"Got it." I started sprinting to the Dorms as he climbed up on the Bullhead, quickly departing for the city. Since it was the crack of dawn, there were no other students walking around the campus, so I had a smooth run to the Dorms. When I made it to the Dorms, I started up the stairs, taking them three at a time until I made it to Maggies floor. I jogged over to her door and ratted on it quickly.

"Maggie! Get up!" The words barely came out of my mouth before the door flung open, her barging out of it and past me. I ran to catch up with her. She appeared to have all her gear on already, including the full body armor, the helmet not covering her face. "What's happening?!" We ran down the stairs and out to the Bullheads again with her answer.

"There's a breach in the center of Vale, thousands of Grimm in the city."

"What?!" She nodded.

"That's what I said when I saw the police report. A huge crater appeared in the town square and Grimm just started pouring out of it." SHe risked glancing sideways at me as we ran. "There were 5 teens in the middle of the explosion. Four girls, one guy." I frowned at the ground as I sprinted, stopping as we made it to the port. I turned to her.

"Let's go." We quickly found the closest Bullhead and got inside. I went straight to the cockpit to find the pilot looking out to the city.

"We need a ride to the city. Now!" She looked up at me before nodding her head.

"Got it, go get strapped in." Luckily, she understood the urgency of the request and took off right at that moment, speeding straight to the city. I stumbled into the back, finding a seat next to Maggie as she was already buckled up. I sat down next to her and held my seat, not bothering to put on the seat belt. I turned to her, yelling over the sound of the engine.

"Are you ready to fight?!" She yelled back.

"Wouldn't already be suited up if I wasn't!" I nodded in whatever way I could.

"Good! We need to find Team RW-" The Pilot's voice came through the speakers.

"We are on route to city square. Only be a minute left before drop off."Maggie quickly unbuckled, obviously not expecting such a quick ride. I started over my sentence.

"We need to find Team RWBY! JNPR is already there for backup!" She yelled in response.

"Alright! Just be prepared for anything!" Suddenly, just after her thought, the back of the bullhead opened up, the ground a blur below us. The Pilot spoke again.

"Get ready to jump out, and activate your Auras before the drop off. Don't want any premature injuries!" With that, the two of us got up from our seats and crawled over to the opening back. We both hung onto the railing as the Bullhead started to slow down, until it came to a low hover right over the square. There was absolute chaos, Both my Teams(Plus Amber) fighting against the flow of the attacking Grimm. We both jumped out. As I fell, I unleashed Blood and Glory from my Watch and as I rolled onto the ground, the Gauntlets were ready as I boosted them into a large Beowulf, sending it flying, but I didn't stop there. I jumped around the battlefield, attacking as many of the Monsters as I could before I found myself back to back with Yang, he firing shot after shot into the Grimm surrounding us, My throwing as much fire as I could. I yelled over the sound of the fight.

"Are you guys all okay?!" She glanced back at me, her eyes blood red.

"Yeah, we're all alive!" The Grimm around us started thinning out, only a couple more to kill. The two of us attacked with our melee, dispatching them with ease. I walked over to her as she snapped the neck of a large Grimm Dinosaur. I put a hand on her upraised arm, ready to punch the Grimm again and spun her around. She looked at me with surprise, ready to kill if I were any enemy. The rage dissipated from her eyes when I kissed her, going limpin my arms. When I pulled away, we separated, but only a couple inches.

"I asked if you were okay, not alive." She smirked at me.

"We're all okay. Exhausted, but okay." I smiled back as I heard incoming Bullheads. I looked up, seeing tons of planes flying overhead, as well as an enormous space craft. We all stared at the huge transport vessels for a moment before they started dropping Robot soldiers all over the wargrounds. I looked around to see them firing rifles at the Grimm, but barely doing anything to the huge forces. Then I saw something different from the rest. The large ship had let loose a single drop pod, letting it fall to the square until it slammed into the ground, destroying the tiling underneath. Yang and I stared at it for a second before the pod opened up, the front folding backwards to show a teen sitting inside. A big guy, pretty strong looking. He had a buzz cut and was wearing a tank top and combat pants, but it was armored up with pieces of modern armor, kind of like Jaune's. His right arm bristled with muscle, but his left arm had light bandaging covering the entire arm, all the way down his hand. On his back was a long cloak that covered his arms a bit, but not enough to hide much of his body from the front. In his bandaged hand was a large one sided sword, but the pummel was longer than usual, pointing at the end like a spear. The guy stepped out of the pod, cracking his neck before he surveyed the battlefield. He hadn't been out there for ten seconds before the corpse of an Ursa went flying at him. He turned to look at it with anger in his eye for a millisecond before his sword was brought up and sliced through the Ursa, completely cutting it in two, sending both sides flying behind him. The three of us looked at the source to see Maggie storming over to him. I jogged over to her, yelling over my shoulder at Yang.

"Help your Team. I need to see what this is about." She nodded and ran over to help Blake dispatch a group of Beowolves. I got in front of Maggie, her helmet just pulling back to show her full head. Her face was full of anger.

"Maggie, he's here with the Military. We're fighting the Grimm, remember?" She stopped to glare at me before I heard a gruff voice from the guy that had come out of the pod.

"Maggie? Magenta Everdale?" I turned to look at him, but he was beside me, looking down at her. His face was unreadable. The two of them stared at each other for a moment, until the guys finally spoke. "I see you made your way to Beacon." She barked at him.

"I see you're still a dog of the military." I saw hurt go across his eyes before his face hardened again. He probably would have responded had a Deathstalker not attacked the three of us. We all jumped back as it snapped at us with it's claws. I got ready to jump forward, but Maggie and the guy were faster than I could have been, slicing and beating the Giant Scorpion in unison as they quickly took it down. With a final attack, the soldier guy, jumped high in the air, swinging his sword over his head until he brought down the pummel through it's head. It shrieked for half a second before it went limp, dead. He pulled his sword out with little difficulty and walked over to Maggie. They were out of earshot from me at this point, but I could see them having a tense talk before they turned and joined the fight once again, but at separate areas. I stared at the two of them separately for a second before I shrugged.

"Huh." With that, I ran off to join Amber as he fought off a large King Taijuti.

* * *

The fight was finally over, all the Huntsmen and Huntresses that had fought had gathered with their Teams to celebrate the battle. From what I heard, there was only a few casualties, with more civilians injured. I walked over to my friends, all gathered together and talking happily amongst themselves. The soldier that had joined the battle in the middle of the fight was standing beside the Bullhead that Torchwick was being loaded into, watching in silence as he was brought into custody. I walked over to the others, and stood beside Maggie, who had put her armor into backpack form. I whispered to her.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a sec." She studied my face for a second, but nodded.

"Sure." The two of us walked a little away from the others to talk. I turned to her when we were far enough away.

"So you mind, telling me about your friend?" I jerked my head at the soldier behind me. She stared at me, a light glare in her eyes. She snarled the answer.

"Steel is his name. 6, 2. A very skilled fighter, and a huge asshole."

"Is that really what you think of me?" Once again, the Soldier had snuck up on me. He walked over to us, talking to Maggie. "An asshole for what I chose." She spit in his face.

"Yeah! You are an asshole! You betrayed us to run off to be a good little soldier boy for Ironwood!" The guy, Steel, calmly wiped the spit off his face and flicked it to the ground. He stared at her coldly.

"Mags, I'm sorry. I really am, but there's nothing I can do now." She glared at him, lowering her voice.

"You wanna know what happened to our friends, our Teammates? Rackley left the school, went back home. Kelley, oh you don't want to know about Kelley. She was so torn up about your, what did you call it, "Departure" that she just shut down. They had to send her home because she was unable to fight anymore. You ruined two peoples dreams, just because you wanted to follow yours! Do you really have that right?! Do you?!" I stepped in between them. Steel's poker face had been failing once again, regret flashing across his face from her accusations.

"Maggie, that's enough." She turned on me.

"Oh, no. You don't get to be a part of this! You don't even know what's happening, so, so…. Back off!" With that she was so angry and distraught that she just couldn't get out words until finally, she pulled her armor over her body, put her helmet on, and ran off to Oum knows where. I stared at her as she ran off, not bothering to follow. I turned back to Steel to see him frozen, staring at where she had been. I spoke quietly.

"What, exactly, did you do to her?" He looked at me, and for a moment, I thought he was actually going to tell me, but before he could say anything, his Scroll went off in his pocket. He straightened up and answered the call.

"Sir." I could hear mumbling from the other side until he spoke again. "Yes, sir." With that he hung up the phone and looked at me. "Another time, perhaps, but for now, I need to report back." He turned to leave, but stopped and turned his head to the side, just to see me.

"I'll see you around." He then jogged over to the bullhead and left. I stared at it for a second before I returned to the others.


	38. Switch To The Next Story!

**ALRIGHT ALL READERS, THE CANON IS OFFICIALLY OVER UNTIL VOLUME 3 IS RELEASED! ON MY PROFILE IS THE CONTINUED STORY OF **_**COURAGE, BRAVERY, INTEGRITY**_**! IT IS CALLED **_**COURAGE, BRAVERY, INTEGRITY: TRINITY! **_**IF YOU WISH TO CONTINUE FOLLOWING THE STORY, JUST START FOLLOWING THAT STORY INSTEAD OF THIS ONE! THANK YOU!**


	39. Update: Info on Upcoming Work

Hey, guy's. It's been a while, huh? Like five months a while, but that's not important right now! Now that school is back in session, I have found myself with an excess amount of free time between classes, and lunch, and such, so I have decided to take this story back up! Yes, that's right readers! Courage, Bravery, Integrity is coming back! I spoke about doing three prequel stories about Zachary, Amber, and Magenta a while back, and I've been thinking about it again now. I've been dying to find something to write about(Other than SPHR, which has been my side story lately) that can quench my thirst for a real story, with real plot, and real characters! For now, I will be spending time starting up(And possibly just binge writing until I finish it) Intellect, which would be Magenta's backstory. This'll play into her entire life before her entrance into the story during near the end of what Canon I have right now. Amber and Zachary's backstories(Isolation and Rejection) will probably come along when I finish this. That is, if Volume 3 hasn't come out yet, in which case I will have to continue writing my Canon with that. Either way, this is what I'll be working on right now. PM or review if you have any questions regarding any plans I have, or anything else.

That's all I really have to say for now, so Peace Out!


	40. Chapter 40: Round One

_**Zachary**_

"Where is Ruby?" I looked up at Weiss from my Scroll.

"You should know, she's still in Patch with her Father. She'll be back before the match." It's been a couple weeks since the Breach. I've been working my teams rather hard to train them, and they've come quite a truly long way, even in such a short time.

After the Breach ended, I had gathered up as much information about what had happened at Mountain Glenn as I could from the RWBY girls and Amber. Amber was the only one that gave me a hard time about what happened. He seemed reluctant to talk about it, but eventually he cracked, not that his story was any different than the girls. The Milos Syndicate fought at the Breach alongside the White Fang. All Family members ended up getting away, but Torchwick was caught and put behind bars.

Although this was a huge success for our fight against the White Fang and The Syndicate, it only really brought down Torchwick. The White Fang are hiding, hesitant to come out from their holes, but The Syndicate… Well, let's just say that they're still as mysterious as ever.

We don't have all the answers we want or need, but we all agreed that the best thing we could do is cease the investigation to the Syndicate until after the Festival. The best thing to do is wait and be on our guard.

Weiss sighed lightly as she rolled the dust crystals through their slots again, checking for any problems. Their first match was going to start in about an hour. Blake and Yang were warming up by training a bit before they head over to the arena. Weiss, even now, was trying to stock herself with as much dust as she can for the match.

"Do you have any idea where Maggie is? I heard she was going to watch the tournaments, and I want to sit with her while you guys compete." Weiss shrugged nonchalantly.

"Probably in her dorm." I looked away and rubbed my neck lightly.

"Yeah, she hasn't really been around for the past couple weeks, huh?" I said quietly.

"No. She hasn't." Weiss didn't even turn around when she responded. I watched her quietly for a few moments, but she didn't speak further. I quietly walked over to her, and kneeled next to where she was searching through her Dust Chest.

"Weiss, is something bugging you?" She glanced at me quickly before returning to her shuffling. She didn't skip a beat.

"No, I'm fine." I watched her quietly for a minute as she struggled under my gaze. She finally snapped as she dropped a crystal to the ground.

"Stop staring at me!" I merely shrugged as I stood to leave the room.

"Weiss, I'm here for you, don't forget that." I left before she could respond, closing the door lightly behind me. She needed space before the fight, and I knew that. There was no point distracting her. A sigh left my lips as I started down the hallway. I walked quietly down the hallways til I found myself outside one of the doors. I rapped my knuckles on it a couple times. There was silence for a few minutes before the door creaked open to reveal Maggie on the other side.

"What do you want, Zach?" My eyebrows creased as I looked at her. She seemed pretty beaten down since the Breach. Maggie had been avoiding everybody for the last couple weeks, and it seemed not to be faring well to her. There were heavy bags under her eyes as she looked at me, her hair stringy and brushed to the side. I placed a hand on the door and tried to push it open slightly, but she kept a firm grip on it.

"I was hoping you'd come down to the fairgrounds with me. It's pretty cool down there." She glared at me.

"Why would I want to go to some shitty fair?"

"You could come to watch Team RWBY fight in the tournament." She threw her head to the back of her room.

"I can watch on my TV here." I reached forward to put an hand on her arm.

"Please, Maggie. You look like shit." She watched me for a couple seconds before she pulled her arm out of my grasp.

"Fine. Gimme a sec to get ready." I smiled in thanks, but she closed the door in my face before she could see it.

* * *

"You want to get something to eat? Team RWBY isn't going to fight for another half hour, so we've got some time." She had her arms wrapped around each other in front of her as she shrugged.

"Yeah, sure." I glanced to the side at her, but she was too distracted by her surroundings to notice me. I'm honestly worried about her. She was clearly pretty shaken up from the Breach, but she refused to talk to me.

"Alright, what do you want to eat?" She shook her head.

"I don't care." I sighed as I picked out a vendor nearby. We walked over to the woman standing at the counter.

"Hey, there. Can I help you two to some Vacuoan delectables?" I smiled at her and looked at the menu.

"Uhhh, yeah. Can I get the Jumper Kabob?" She nodded happily, writing down the order on her pad. She then looked at Maggie.

"And for you?" She looked at the menu blankly for a few seconds before shaking her head.

"I'll just take the same thing he did." She nodded happily before closing up her booklet.

"Alright, that'll be 46 Lien." I nodded, pulling out my wallet, but Maggie threw her card on the table before I could even put my hand on it.

"Just put it on that." The lady nodded quietly, pulling the card off the table and putting it through the cash register before giving it back. Maggie pulled it out of her hand and stuffed it back in her pocket. I stared at her quietly as the women went to the back to make our food. Maggie glanced at me before she looked back at the ground.

"Consider it thanks for dragging me out of my room." I nodded slowly.

"Yeah, thanks." I looked away, but then looked back as I heard a quiet sound. She was laughing at me.

"The real charmer, you are." I smiled at her as the woman came back with our Kabobs in patty paper. We both took our food and started walking around. It was surprisingly awkward for the two of us.

"So do you think they're gonna win?" I glanced at Maggie in confusion. "Team RWBY, the tournament. You know, the reason we're out here?" I nodded quickly.

"Oh, yeah, yeah. I'm sure they'll win! I've been training them myself for the past couple weeks, and they've been doing very well." She nodded.

"I hope you're right. It'd be real embarrassing if you're team got knocked out of the tournament in the first round." I gave her an annoyed look.

"Whatever. They'll win, you'll see." She nodded.

"I hope I do."

* * *

Maggie and I sat down near the bottom of the stands for the best seats, and just as match between Team RWBY and Team ABRN had started. The teams were standing on either side of the Arena as Volcano and Ice Biomes rose up on both sides. When the counter went off, it was chaos. Both teams charged each other for an all out battle with all team members before they started to separate a bit.

"Team RWBY's doing very well." I smiled as I watched Ruby encased one of the enemy team member's legs in ice for her sister.

"Yeah, they working better as a team." Ruby and Weiss were working together a bow staff wielding enemy now.

"It's pretty incredible." Maggie said as she watched Blake knock one of the enemy members out of the Arena.

"Yes, very incredible indeed." I turned around at the voice, but nobody was sitting in the seats behind me. I looked around for a minute before looking back at Maggie, who must have not heard the voice. My mind was cleared when I heard an enormous explosion. I turned back to the Arena to see Yang send all three of the remaining members of the enemy team across the arena. I laughed and cheered as they won the match.

* * *

"You guys are so freaking awesome!" I had Team RWBY wrapped around arms in a huge huge. "You fought so well!"

"Zach… please…" I looked down at Ruby as she was blue without air. I laughed as I let them go.

"Alright, alright. How are you guys? Hyped for your next match?" My answer came Blake's stomach growling very loudly. Ruby smiled at me.

"A little hungry actually." She said. Weis just rolled her eyes.

"Gee. If only there was somewhere on campus to get food around here." We all looked around at the Fairgrounds, full of stalls. Ruby put a hand on Weiss's shoulder.

"It's okay, Weiss. I forget about the Fairgrounds, too." Ruby said.

"I was being fuschias." Weiss said sarcastically in response. I laughed at her.

"If you're hungry, why didn't you just say so?" Yang waved us to follow her.

"Cmon, I know just the place." We all started following her before somebody walked up behind us.

"Hey, it might be hard to eat without this!" Emerald was standing behind Ruby with her wallet in hand as Ruby started searching her pockets frantically for her Lien. Emerald just laughed.

"Good to see you, Ruby!" She handed Ruby her wallet back.

"Thanks, Emerald! I guess I dropped it. Girl pockets are the worst!" Yang walked over to them.

"What's up, Em?" She said.

"Just left the Stadium after watching your amazing fight!" I quickly wrapped my arms around Blake and Weiss behind them, enveloping them in another unwanted hug again.

"Yeah, they were pretty awesome, right?" Blake quickly pulled out of my grasp and stood back, giving me an annoyed look before turning to Emerald.

"I heard your team progressed to the next round, too." Weiss continued to struggle out of my grasp, but gave up after a couple seconds and just looked up at her.

"You know, I feel like we never see your other teammates." Yang nodded.

"Yeah, how'd they do in the fight?" Emerald thought for a moment, giving Weiss time to pull her head out of my arm, before nodding.

"Really well." She responded.

"That's great! Uh, why don't we all go out and get some victory food together?" My smile

wavered at that, but I didn't say anything. I haven't heard much of the rest of Emerald's Team, but I know enough about her partner to dislike the idea. Mercury Black, still a complete prick, just the same as the rest of the year. I took a small step forward before Emerald could respond.

"You know, I'm sure they're busy as ever-" Yang quickly elbowed me in the ribs before I could say anything else. I glared at her as I rubbed the bruised rib as she gave me an annoyed glare. It was a couple seconds before I looked back, to see everyone staring at the two of us. Yang just put her arms up.

"Don't mind us, just stupid couple stuff." They nodded, letting the awkward moment go. Emerald responded slowly, obviously confused by the situation.

"Uh, yeah. That's really kind of you, but my teammates are all pretty… Introverted." She glanced backwards at Mercury, who was for some unknown reason sniffing a boot at one of the stands. "Really socially awkward." Yang nodded. I grunted quietly in disdain, but either nobody heard me, or nobody paid me any attention.

"Yeah, I can see that." There was a second before Emerald said anything.

"So yeah. Looks like Merc and I will be moving on to the Doubles round. What about you guys?" Ruby smiled confidently.

"Well as the leader of team RWBY, I thought long and hard about this decision." Weiss cut in quietly.

"Zach made the decision." Ruby fumbled her words as she looked away in alarm.

"Uhhh, yes, but I allowed him to make the choice for us!" I laughed and nudged her humorously.

"Yeah, Weiss and Yang are gonna fight." Weiss bowed happily.

"I will happily represent Team RWBY." Yang just smiled and slammed her fists together.

"Yeah, we're gonna kick some ass!" Emerald laughed at that.

"Well, if Mercury and I see you down the line, don't think we'll go easy on ya!" Yang crossed her arms.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." We turned to leave as Emerald started to turn to her partner.

"Alright. Well, we're gonna go catch some more fights. I'll see you guys later!" We waved goodbye as we started for a little noodle bar.

* * *

_**Amber**_

I walked the fairgrounds alone after watching Team RWBY's fantastic fight, yet again alone. I've found myself straying from Zach and his teams since the Breach. Often, I'd seem them together having fun, and I'd purposely avoid them, in fear of being questioned about what happened on the train again.

I felt uncomfortable talking to Zach about what transpired between myself and that man, and especially what happened with that armored warrior. It unsettled me how well the two of them knew me, even though I was completely oblivious as to who they were, and how the man knew my Master?!

I quickly shook my head. These thoughts have been plaguing me for weeks, but I didn't want to worry the others with my problem. That's what he is, my problem.

"Hello, Amber." I quickly turned to the voice, but relaxed slowly when I saw who it was.

"Hello, Professor Ozpin. How are you?" The old man nodded at me with a smile.

"Very well, but how are you? You seemed quite distressed a moment ago." I hesitated to answer for a moment, and just watched me in silence.

"Only thinking about my friends. Team JNPR is to fight in a few minutes and I didn't want to miss their battle." He stared at me a moment longer, as if waiting for another answer, but when one wasn't provided, he nodded.

"Yes, I'm sure you wouldn't want to miss their match." He stared off for a moment before his cane tapped against his foot lightly. "How did you enjoy Team RWBY's match? It was only half an hour ago, and I'm sure you wouldn't have missed it." I gave him a light stare before answering.

"Believe it or not, that very thing happened. I lost track of time and ended up too late." He looked past me for a second before turning around.

"Yes, well I must return to the School." He started to walk away before he stopped and looked over his shoulder at me. "Goodbye, Mr. Pleasant." I watched him walk away before I turned to see what he was looking at behind me. Maggie was walking through the fairegrounds, seemingly wandering towards the Dorms.

"Hey, Maggie." She turned as I walked over to her. Last I heard, she was spending most of her time cooped up in her dorm in an effort to get away from the Atlas troops everywhere, so it was a surprise to see her out here in broad daylight.

"Hey, Amber. Haven't seen you for a while, huh?" I nodded.

"I've been around." She raised her eyebrows.

"Really? Cause last I checked you speak to everybody else just about as little as I have." I raised my eyebrows in surprise, but she just put out her hand. One of her Wasps flew down from behind me and into her palm. I nodded in understanding.

"The Wasps." She nodded, placing the wasp in her pocket after it had transformed into a small rectangle.

"Yeah, when I hadn't seen you in a while, I had a couple follow you. You're really avoiding the others." My lips pressed together tightly, but she wasn't fazed by my tensing up. After a couple seconds, I spoke.

"Yes, I haven't been particularly social lately, what about it?" She let her head droop to the left a bit.

"I'm not sure, but I plan to pick your brain and find out." I nodded quietly before turning away from her.

"Good luck with that. Now, I've got a match to watch and I don't want to be late." She didn't follow me when I left.


	41. Chapter 41: New Challengers

_**Zachary**_

"I'll have a bowl of the regular, please." Yang smiled as the bowl rolled in front of her. Ruby just goggled at the large bowl of pasta.

"Oooooh, I'll take the same." The man dropped a bowl in front of her just as quickly. I glanced to the left and made up my mind.

"Pasta bowl it is, then." He gave me the same bowl. At this point, the three of us were looking down the line at Weiss, just to see if she'll continue. She ignored us and put a quizzical hand out.

"Hmmm… Do you have anything with low salt?" The man raised an eyebrow before giving me a glance. I smiled at him with a nod. The same pasta bowl was dropped in front of Weiss, but she just leaned back in surprise. "Oh, okay?"

The man then looked at Blake, but she just gave him a knowing nod. The man nodded back before disappearing into the back of the booth. A couple seconds later, a pasta bowl was dropped in front of Blake, but this one was covered in fish. Blake stared at the food with a predatory look in her eye.

Weiss looked at Blake in confusion and surprise before reaching into her pocket, a Debit Card being produced to the man. I stopped myself from reaching further into my pocket to get my wallet.

"Awww, Weiss! What's the occasion?" Yang said.

"Yeah, I was gonna take over for it." I added with a nod. She smiled to us.

"Consider it thanks for sending me to the Doubles Round." The smiles quickly disappeared when the card flipped back to the table. Weiss looked to the man in alarm, but he was just pointing to the screen on his cash register that said "Declined." She quickly stood up. "What?! How can my card be Declined?!" The girls looked down at their food in quiet disappointment, but I just quickly pulled out some cash and threw it on the table. The man gave me a glance before taking the cash and returning to the back. I turned to Weiss, but she was just staring at her card quietly with a worried look on her face.

"Weiss, Can we talk?" She gave me a side glance before standing up. I got up and turned to the mixed emotions on her teammates faces.

"We'll be back in a minute." I could hear Ruby quietly "ohhhh"ing, like Weiss was in trouble as I join Weiss a couple tents down. She wouldn't look me in the eye when I got to her.

"Weiss, what's going on? You were practically bouncing off the walls in worry before the match today, and then your card got denied?" She was silent for a few moments before sighing lightly.

"It's my Father." I raised my eyebrows. I've heard Weiss talk about her dad on only a few occasions, and it was never a very happy conversation topic.

"Your Father?" She nodded.

"Yes, He's been trying to get in touch with me, but I've been avoiding his calls." I shifted on my feet, unsure on what to say. "I'm sure he just wants me to come home to be his Heiress again." She said.

"Well, why don't you talk to him? He could just want to talk to his daughter, see how she's doing?" She rolled her eyes.

"The last time my Father "cared how I was doing" was many years ago. I'm just his successor to the Company now." I nodded.

"So he shut down your Card." She nodded quietly. "And you won't talk to him?" She shook her head. "Alright, thanks, Weiss." She nodded and walked past me back to her seat I rubbed the back of my neck, hoping to crack it.

"Hey, Zach." I looked up to see Maggie leaning against one of the pillars of the booths. She was watching me with a frown.

"Hey, Maggie. I thought you went back to your dorm?" She shook her head.

"Thought I'd stick around for a little longer." I smiled at her.

"Happy to be out of that Dorm?" I asked. She didn't answer, but instead looked to the people passing by on their own business.

"You seen Amber lately?" She asked me without looking. I frowned, confused by the random question.

"No, I haven't. You looking for him?" She shook her head.

"Nah, I know where he is. Just wondering if you knew, too." I raised my eyebrows.

"Should I?" She just shrugged. After a couple seconds of silence, she gave me a look, like she wasn't sure what I'd say or do.

"I'm gonna go watch another couple fights. Heard Team JNPR is fighting soon." I nodded in farewell, but she left before I could actually say anything.

* * *

_**Amber**_

I was able to get a good seat up front to watch the tournament relatively easily, considering how large the stadium was. I sat alone to watch Team JNPR's fight, luckily Maggie had decided to leave me alone for the moment, although I doubt that it'll last very long. I was careful to chose a seat away from where Team RWBY and Zach usually sat, but I wasn't sure if they would look for me. I wasn't sure if Maggie was going to talk to them, and have them search for me.

"It's quite surprising, you know." I turned to my left to see a burly man standing at my side. A black cloak was covering most of his body from my sight, but I could just see a crew cut from the top of his head.

"What?" He turned slightly to glance at me, but then returned to watch Team JNPR start their fight.

"How far a couple of kids can come when they work together. Team of four spends only a year together, learning together, fighting together, living together, and they become a powerful unit of force, ready to take on the world." I watched him quietly, not sure what he was getting at until he turned to face me.

He looked much younger than I had expected, around my age actually. The cloak covered up his arms quite well, but his bulging abs and broad chest were clearly shown. His face was familiar, but I couldn't place it.

"Yeah, that's most likely why they team up students at the beginning of schooling. Do we know each other?" He nodded thoughtfully.

"Yeah, sorry to sneak up on you. I guess we never really met." He put a hand out to shake. "Name's Steel. We both fought at the Breach together." I took his hand and nodded.

"Yes, I remember you." He nodded silently as it started to more awkward. "Is there something you needed from me?" He quickly took his hand back under his cloak.

"No, no. I don't need anything from you. I've just been low on friendly faces here at Vale." When I raised my eyebrow at him, he continued. "And, I guess I might have found an ally out of you."

"Ah, I see." I turned back to the match to see the fighting in full affect. I hadn't even been hearing the gunshots and yells that had been going on down there. I slowly sat back down in my seat and gestured to the seat next to me.

"Sit down." He hesitated for a moment, but sat down all the same in the seat. The two of us watched the match, every up and down, emotionless and silent. I couldn't know for sure, but it seemed very usual for both of us to be silent and listen. The match seemed to end in no time, Nora taking out the entire enemy team with a final swing of her hammer. I glanced at Steel, but he gave no emotion to win from Team JNPR.

"An impressive win in the end, don't you think?" I asked, curious to what he was thinking. He just gave an unimpressed grunt.

"The winning team's leader had no strategy for his team. They scrambled around the match the entire time. They were only lucky to be skilled enough to fight a coordinated team with him at the head." I frowned lightly, but I didn't deny it. Jaune was improving as a fighter, but he still needed many hours in the training room before he was ready for a real fight.

"Well, that winning team are a couple of my friends, so if you don't mind, I'd like to go congratulate them." Zach will be with Team RWBY to watch Team SSSN's fight next. He will most likely wait to commend his team on their win for later. Steel stood with me and walked beside me as I headed for the entrance to the combatant lockers. When we were standing outside the doors, I turned to Steel.

"Don't tell Jaune how poorly he did. I've been told that it's rather rude to be so crude when talking with people." Steel gave me a confused look, but nodded slowly. Team JNPR walked out of the doors. Nora was leading the group, walking with a gloating stride in their win, while the three others trailed behind her, tired, but obviously happy as well. When Nora noticed me, she pounced.

"Amber! Did you watch the fight?! Wasn't it so good?!" I nodded with a smile as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

"Yeah, you guys did really well!" I looked past Nora to Jaune. "Jaune, you're getting much better in combat." He gave me a tired smile.

"Thanks, Amber, but I think Nora brought us to the victory in this one." She smiled even more at that and rushed over to Jaune to give him a hug. Pyrrha was eyeing up Steel, who was watching silently.

"Amber, are you going to introduce us to your friend?" I nodded, turning to him.

"Yeah, Steel, this is Team JNPR." All of them gave their greetings individually. "This is Steel. He fought at the Breach." Pyrrha nodded thoughtfully, giving him a wary look.

"Yes, I hear you work in the Atlas Military. Is this true?" He nodded.

"Yes, where'd you hear about me?"

"Our leader, Zachary. You must know him?" He shook his head.

"No, I'm afraid I don't." There was a moment of awkward silence before Ren spoke.

"Well, I'm afraid after a match like that, I need some rest. I hear that Sun's Team is going to be fighting next, if you'd like to watch them." With that he, walked off toward the airport. Jaune quickly spoke.

"I think I'm going to join him. I'll see you later, Amber." The girls followed him to Ren, who was waiting for them in an airship.

"Very peculiar." I gave him an annoyed look.

"What?" He just shrugged.

"I just think it strange for such a nonqualified boy to be leading such a talented team of fighters." I glared at him, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Jaune's just as qualified as the rest of us." He didn't respond, so after a couple minutes, I just spoke.

"Well, I'm going to head down to the fairgrounds to get some food. I know about a booth with TVs to watch the matches with. You coming along?" He nodded, following me to one of the airships.

* * *

_**Maggie**_

Team JNPR's match went well for them, although I still hope that Jaune gets better in combat. He blocked a few key shots, but generally, he lost his individual fights. I ended up watching the match at a little booth with a tent at the fairgrounds with a TV. They had been playing the Tournament matches 24/7, so I had thought it was a pretty good place to nest for a while. There was a nice sports bar feeling to it, large counter with a bartender behind. There was a line of taps behind the man, but he said nothing when as he continued to fill up her soda. A couple other people were sitting at the bar, but none of them had bothered her as she watched the matches quietly.

I'd been waiting for night to head back to my dorm, but being out here hadn't been as horrible as I'd thought it would be. Over all the time I've been spending in my dorm, I seem to have forgotten what it was that kept me so needing of solitude.

"Maggie, I didn't know that you knew about this place." I turned to the entrance of the tent to see Amber walk through with a wary smile. I smiled with a nod, about to speak before I heard a muffled voice outside the flaps.

"Maggie?" I raised an eyebrow at Amber as he glanced back through the flaps, gesturing to whoever was outside to come in before he start to walk over to me. I watched the opening for a moment as Amber sat down beside me, but nobody walked through. I gave Amber a confused look.

"Who was that outside?" He turned to the door to see that the person he had been with had left him alone with her. He gave a shrug before turning back to me.

"A new friend, a very strange guy, but I guess he had something to do." He turned to the bartender and ordered a water. "Since when did you hang out here?" I glanced back at the opening before turning back to the television.

"Found it earlier today to watch the fights. A bit quieter than the Arena, dontcha think?" He gave a solemn nod as he watched Team SSSN start their fight with one of the teams from Vacuo. There was a moment of quiet as we watched the TV before I slowly spoke.

"So, you wanna tell me what's up?" He thanked the bartender as the water was placed in front of him before he gave me a glare.

"Funny that you think there's a story to tell. I already told you, I just haven't been feeling very social." I matched his glare before turning my face back to the TV. I wasn't really watching, but wasn't getting anywhere by staring him down.

"You know, I could just make a device that taps into the part of your brain that holds your memories." Amber just took a sip of his water nonchalantly.

"Really? Well, I'm sure that doesn't break at least one law under our four kingdoms." I let out a nonchalant shrug.

"Not like I'm a star citizen, anyway." Amber was silent for a few seconds before he gave me a nervous look.

"You really want to know that badly?" I nodded. I'd put a lot of time watching Amber over the past weeks, and I've been worried about him. What could possibly be important enough to keep from us?

"Yeah, it must be important to affect you the way it has." He stared at me for several second before he gave off a sigh.

"Fine, there's no point wasting time further." He didn't say anything for another couple seconds, so I just slapped his arm in impatience.

"Well, tell me, then!" He gave me a nervous smile.

"You remember what happened at Mt. Glenn?" I nodded.

"Yeah, Ruby told me about it. The Train, and then the Breach."

"Right, when we boarded the train, Team RWBY and I had to fight our way through the cars to get to the engine, where we could stop it. Throughout the fighting, several of us stayed behind so that we could send the others forward, and eventually, it was only Blake and I. We had found ourselves facing two foes. Torchwick, and The Man in the Orange Suit." I scrunched my eyebrows at that.

"Ruby told me that the two of you fought Torchwick alone." He shook his head.

"Ruby wasn't at the fight, and Blake's promised to keep quiet about what happened. The Man in Orange was with Torchwick during the fight, but he was much more powerful than all of us. He was on a tier much higher than Torchwick could ever dream of, but he wasn't alone. He ordered another soldier, one that was made to be the bane of my existence." I stopped him quickly.

"What do you mean "the bane of your existence?"" He raised a hand to me to quiet me, and let him finish.

"The Man in Orange said that my Master was his brother." I raised my eyebrows in surprise, but he didn't let me interrupt. "He said that while my Master raised me because I was a winged faunus, and that I didn't deserve them at birth. The Soldier that the Man controlled had metal wings, Maggie. They gave him synthetic wings! He was raised in spite of my Master raising me." I stared at him with surprise in my eyes. He had been getting more and more strained with his words as he told this story, and he had finally come to his breaking point. He shut his mouth and refused to open it, but it was clear he had finished his story.

"Oh, Amber. What are we going to do?" He steeled himself over for a minute before he was able to respond.

"I don't know." He stopped before glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. "You can't tell Zach, or any of the others. I don't want them worrying about me on this."

"But, Amber. That's two new enemies that we know nothing about! This is important information!" He shook his head.

"No!" We glared at each other, but neither of us were willing to back down. "This is my fight, and you can't just give it to another. I won't let you." I stared into his fierce eyes, and I saw complete determination. He truly didn't want me to tell them. It was only so long before I looked away.

"Fine!" He slowly turned back to the counter, letting the stare end. He spoke quietly.

"Thank you." There was a heavy silence between the two of us as we let what just happened sink in, the fights long forgotten. After a couple more minutes, I stood in my seat, placing the Lien I owed to the bartender on the table. I said nothing as I retreated from the tent, and back to the school.


	42. Chapter 42: It's Brawl in the Family

_**Zachary**_

I stayed with the girls to watch the fights in the Arena. Luckily, we were able to get front row seats for every battle, and had a great view. I was leaving the Arena after Team SSSN's fight with Yang and Blake when I noticed that Ruby and Weiss were missing. I turned to Yang, who was looking at a fairy that was just leaving, with Weiss and Ruby jumping in on the last second.

"They left us behind?" I asked. Yang just shrugged.

"I don't know." I looked back as Blake nudged me.

"You should go see what's going on." I nodded in agreeance, running to another fairy about to leave. I stood near one of the windows as the airship descended to the ground quickly. Their ship landed first, and I lost track of them from the window rather quickly, but they appeared to heading toward the ports between Vale and Beacon.

My airship landed a couple minutes later. I was one of the first people off board, slowly walking out the bay doors. My feet barely touched the ground before I felt it shake, loud explosions coming from the courtyard nearby.

"Oh no." I murmured with a frown. I quickly jogged over to the fighting, afraid of what the girls could have gotten themselves into. It wasn't long before I could see a large group of people standing in a half circle as two warriors flashed around the courtyard, the only distinguishable sight being the flashes as they clash. I joined the crowd as one of the fighters knocked the other far back, forcing him to use his sword to slow him down. As they were distanced from each other, they stopped long enough for me to get a good idea of who it was.

The one that had the upperhand on the other was a woman in white. She seemed very formal in her attire and movements, and wielded a rapier and dagger. She actually looked a lot like an older Weiss, just in the way she acted alone.

The other was an older guy, maybe later 30s, who had a huge sword. He was obviously drunk, swaying in his movements, his eyes unfocused on the woman. He had very strange clothes, a cross between formal and ratty. He obviously wasn't in modern times anymore.

The two were facing each other off from across the courtyard when the woman flourished her weapons before slamming her rapier into the pavement. A glyph appeared at her feet, doves flying up around her before dashing towards the man. He guarded with his sword for a few seconds, fighting off the doves as they pecked and pushed at him. The woman smiled slyly as he knocked the birds out slowly, still distracted from the fight and unable to do anything but stop them. I found myself moving forward before I could think, towards the woman.

I stood behind her before I put my foot into her lower back and pushed. The woman fell forward, her weapons dropping from her hand at the unexpected attack from behind. Quickly, the glyph disappeared, the doves with it. I glared down at her as she turned up at me.

"Who are you, fool?!" I took a strong step forward, expressing my aggression.

"Zachary Milos, now stop this fighting!" She glared up at me in anger as I heard a voice from my side.

Zach?!" I turned to see Weiss and Ruby standing at the side. I gave them a confused look before the was a flash from the woman. While I was distracted, she had gather up her weapons and made a desperate lunge at me. It all happened incredibly quickly.

I started to step back, hoping to dodge the supersonic attack, but there was little need to. Just as quickly, there was a loud clang of metal against metal, and there was the man. He had blocked the blow, keeping the woman's weapon at bay with his. I could hear both of them grunting under the pressure, but very soon did the man push her back, causing her to jump back and take up arms. She pointed her sword past him at me.

"Milos Assassin! Why would you protect him?!" The man gave a loud grunt.

"Shut your mouth, you idiot! He's a kid!" She shook with anger, a glyph appearing behind her. The man turned his head back to me a bit as his sword started to change.

"Back up, kid." I nodded, taking a couple steps back as he prepared for the attack. I watched him as the sword changed behind him, and as he stopped suddenly. With a smile, he contracted his sword back, sheathing it at his back. He gestured at her, threatening her to attack, which fueled her anger even further. It wasn't another moment before she streaked forward, her sword flying in front of her.

"SCHNEE!" And it all stopped at once. The sword was an inch from the man's throat, the woman silent in surprise and annoyance. She turned slowly to see Ironwood standing behind her. She quickly turned and came to attention.

"General Ironwood, sir!" Penny stood behind him as he took several steps forward.

"What in the world do you think you're doing?" She spoke quickly.

"He started the altercations, sir. And then defended a Milos Assassin and Terrorist, sir." The man leaned around her to speak to Ironwood.

"That's actually not true, she attacked me, and then the boy here that defended me." Ironwood assessed the situation.

"Is that right?" The woman turned to point at me.

"He's a Milos Assassin!" Ironwood spoke with force.

"He's a student at this school! And someone to be respected as your sister's leader!" The woman went silent, looking away in shame. I put two and two together in my head as I traversed the conversation.

"Schnee… You're Weiss' sister!" She turned to me with a glare, but stayed silent. Ironwood walked past her to the man.

"And you, what are you doing here?" He pointed a hand the the general.

"I could be asking you the same thing." I gave them a confused look.

"Who the hell are you?!" Neither could answer as Ozpin walked over.

"Now, now everyone. There is a Sanction fight happening just around the corner at the Coliseum, that I can assure you has better seats and popcorn." Glynda, who was with him,quickly stepped forward with a yell.

"Break it up, everyone! We will take care of this mess." She glared at the four of us. Ironwood straightened his tie as he turned to Winter.

"Let's go." The two of them and the sentinels nearby all walked with Ozpin and Glynda back to the school, I stayed behind with the man. I turned to him, but he just gave me a shrug.

"Ironwood has had a stick up his ass for too long." I smiled quietly as Ruby ran over to us out of nowhere. Very quickly, The man raised his arm to catch her on it.

"Uncle Qrow! Uncle Qrow! Hi!" He held her with ease on her arm as he smiled at her. "Did you miss me?!" He ruffled her hair.

"Nope."

"Qrow!" The man, Qrow, turned to Ozpin, Ruby falling off his arm quickly. Ozpin spoke harshly. "A word, please." Qrow turned to us, feining a nervous face.

"I think I'm in trouble." Ruby spoke back quietly.

"You did kinda tear up our courtyard." He smiled.

"Yeah, I did." They fist bumped as he started to walk off. "Catch you later, kids." Weiss walked over to us as I turned on Ruby.

"Who was that?" She smiled after the man as he walked away with Ozpin.

"That's my Uncle Qrow! He's the awesomest fighter ever!" I nodded, her excitement obvious.

"And I'm assuming that was Winter?" I said to Weiss. She nodded.

"Yes, it was. How'd you know?" She asked.

"Ironwood said Schnee. I didn't know that your sister worked for him." She nodded.

"My sister is Atlesian Specialist. She works in the Atlas Military." I frowned quietly, but didn't say anything about it.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised, I just thought that your sister would be younger than you. You almost never talk about her." She nodded.

"Yes, well I almost never get to see her. She's always off on missions for the military." Ruby nodded.

"Yeah, my uncle's the same way. Always off on some mission."

"I didn't know a Hunter's job was so busy…" Weiss murmured quietly. I shook my head, letting the situation slip from my mind.

"I'm sure we'll see them again later. For now, I think there a few more matches before the doubles matches tomorrow, let's go wait there." The others agreed, so we headed back to the Arena.

* * *

_**Maggie**_

The fight was something to behold, but I was lucky to see it. I was walking back to the Dorms when I arrived upon Specialist Schnee fighting some older guy. The amount of time I've spent pursued by Ironwood, hearing about her was inevitable. I wasn't very surprised by the fight, but what really got me started was when I saw the Headmaster walk off with Ironwood and the foreign man. Curiosity had me there. That was why I was rushing back to my dorm, a wasp already sent to track after them, flying high above Ozpin.

It was almost no time at all that I had burst through the door to my room and was sat at my computer. It was seconds before the screen in front of me had an overhead view of the Beacon Campus. I could see the two men far below, just walking through the doors of the school. I guided the drone to dash through the door just as it closed behind them. I followed them to the elevator, and quickly crawled my way to the roof, activating the camouflage. Their voices were clear, even though they were speaking so quietly.

"Milos in the school?" The man said.

"He's unique, Qrow. And he is the leader of your nieces."

"I heard that a boy named Zachary was their leader, not a Milos." Ozpin slowly spoke.

"Yes, well he has more potential than you think, and is more than willing to help this world's problems rather than create them." Qrow was quiet for several seconds before speaking.

"The Schnee's won't like it." Ozpin's face was grim.

"That is something they can learn accept." Qrow chuckled lightly, but didn't say anything until the doors opened a minute later. Inside was Glynda, Ironwood, and Winter waiting at the desk, although none of them were sitting in the chair. Winter was pacing impatiently, and turned on Qrow as soon as she saw him.

"What were you thinking?!" Ironwood stepped off the table he was leaning against to raise a finger to him.

"If you were one of my men, I'd have you shot!" Qrow chuckled, bringing a flask from his coat. It didn't take much to see what's inside by the way he drank it. He pulled the flask away to speak.

"If I were one of your men, I'd shoot myself." Glynda stayed where she stood behind the table.

"Well, I wouldn't condone his behavior, retaliating like you did certainly didn't help the situation." Winter lashed out at that.

"He protected a killer!" Ozpin spoke with a stern voice.

"That boy is no killer, and I'll not have you attacking my students on a whim." Winter closed her arms around each other in defiance.

"Of course, Headmaster." He then turned to Qrow as he sat in his seat. "And Qrow, what are you doing here?" Ironwood spoke confidently.

"You've been out of contact for weeks! You can't just go dark like that in the field!" Qrow retaliated quickly.

"I'm not one of your special operatives, Jimmy." It didn't take long for me to see how little he thinks of the man. Winter stepped forward.

"General!" And it didn't take long to see how highly she thinks of him. He scowled at her.

"Whatever. Now, I want to know how it is that you people can't see spyware when it's right in front of you!" I pulled in a breathe when I heard that, and felt physically scared when the guy swung around to stare at me above the elevator.

"What…?" I murmured quietly, and watched as the others turned to look where he was staring and seeing nothing.

"Qrow, what are you talking about?" Ironwood said. Qrow said nothing, but Ozpin took his place.

"Magenta Everdale, I would like to see you in my office in thirty minutes. And if you do not remove this drone, and all the others, from my office, there will true consequences." My eyes widened in fear, but it didn't stop me from turning off the camouflage on my drone and making my way to the elevator. The drone pushed on the floor button before I put it back on autopilot.

I quickly pushed back from the computer, my chair rolling to the middle of the room. I was unsettled by that man, Qrow, and I didn't know if that was something that would pass.

* * *

I stood still in the elevator, unsure of what is going to happen when I get to the top floor. The Headmaster, nor any of the others, had talked to me in the past half hour. When the door dinged to the top floor, I just almost flinched. As the door opened, Ozpin stared at me. He watched every step of the way as I walked over to his desk. He gestured at the chair in front of him, so I sat. He took a silent sip of his coffee before he spoke.

"Magenta, do you remember any fairy tales from your childhood?" I frowned in confusion.

"Fairy Tales?" He nodded.

"Yes, stories and myths."

"Uhhhh, I guess. I was never told many as a child, to be honest." He nodded.

"Have you ever wondered where they come from, the fairy tales?" I looked around, wondering if somebody was joking with me.

"I… No, I guess I haven't." He nodded solemnly before turning his chair to the window behind him. There was a moment of silence. I fidgeted left and right in my chair, unsure of why I haven't gotten punished yet.

"Uh, sir?" He turned his chair back to look at me. I gulped and spoke. "Didn't you bring me up here because to punish me? I thought I was in trouble." He thought about it for a moment before he shook his head.

"No, I called you here to ask for your help." I raised my eyebrows in confusion.

"Help?"

* * *

**Hey, guys. It's been awhile since I've done one of these, huh? I've been pretty focused on my life lately, so I'm sorry for the chapters being so long between each other. There's been a lot of changes that I've had to deal with, and the biggest one having moved to a military academy. Yeah, that's a thing.**

**I will have little free time in the next several weeks to upload chapters, so I'm hoping to get at least one more chapter in this week, which I have free. I'm hoping to get at least three chapters done by Sunday, but don't expect any miracles.**

**I'd really like to thank any dedicated readers. I know that it's been a bumpy ride for the past year or so(I honestly don't actually know how long it's been), and I am more than happy to have people reading my content.**

**It's strange to think that 42 chapters later, I'm still writing about my main man Zachary Milos. I had thought I would have lost interest in this guy at this point, but I have always been able to see him as part of the story. He's like the missing piece of the show, and can fit perfectly when the world is a little adjusted.**

**Also, I did notice a strange thing after this last upload. There were almost three times as many people reading the story after that chapter than the usual amount. Now, I'm not sure why, but I am thankful to the tens of you that are taking the time to read every chapter, it actually does mean a large amount to me.**

**Now, I'll cut this short, considering how long I'm actually making this. Thanks to all. I love you guys and gals. Please let me know what you guys think of the story in the review section. Lemme know how you're doing for all I care! GuffeyManipulation, Out.**


	43. Chapter 43: Lessons Learned

_**Maggie**_

I stared down at the blueprints. I studied every single detail of the intricate designs in the machine. It didn't take long before gave him a frown.

"These plans are ridiculous. Aura Transfer? It's not just dangerous, impossible, and downright stupid, it's incredibly crazy." Ozpin nodded quietly before grabbing his scroll from the table. He quickly typed in several words before placing it back down.

"Ms. Everdale, I assure you that it is not impossible. Crazy, yes, but not impossible." I frowned at him, pushing the blueprints back to his side of the surface.

"You skipped past dangerous and stupid there, sir. I don't understand why you would want me to build this anyway!" He shook his head.

"Oh no, that's not what I was asking. The machine is already built and in a secure facility."

"Then what could you possibly need from me?" He looked past me to where the elevator doors opened. Inside were Ironwood "You called for me, Ozpin?" He said gruffly. He walked over to the table, and reacted diligently as he saw the blueprints.

"Ozpin! What are you doing?" Ironwood exclaimed, rushing to pick up the papers and roll them up. The headmaster spoke diligently.

"Ms. Everdale here is a trusted individual, I can assure you. She is the only one that can help us at the moment." Although hurt, he went silent and placed the papers back on the table.

"Does she know?" Ironwood asked quietly. Ozpin shook his head.

"She hasn't agreed to help us." He said in response. I raised my hand to interrupt them quickly.

"Help with what exactly?! You still haven't even told me what you want me to do, nor what for, and why?!" I exclaimed. I was fed up with them dodging around the truth.  
"Magenta, we need you to help us make this possible. This machine needs to work, one way or another, and we know that you are the only person that can make that happen." Ozpin said confidently. He didn't stutter a word. Ironwood leaned over to speak with him, but Ozpin just waved the man off. He continued to watch me. I stared back, but it wasn't long before I folded and looked down at the blueprints again, which Ironwood had still left on the table.

"The machine is very fragile. Aura is a powerful thing, and I'm still not sure whether or not you can contain it with wire, but what you have makes sense. Near invincible rubber and metals layered on each other. What I'm worried about is what will happen to the person you're extracting aura from. Aura is a part of our soul, and just taking it from someone and putting it in someone else could have drastic effects on both people. There's honestly no way of telling what would happen should you successfully make that transfer." Ozpin nodded thoughtfully.

"Could you make this work without side effects on the person acquiring the Aura?" I stared back at him.

"I don't know. You're asking me to step into uncharted territory and be an expert on the landscape." I watched them for a second before I continued.

"But I'll give it a shot." Ironwood didn't seem very excited about the new help, but Ozpin stood immediately.

"Thank you, Magenta. We'll explain everything to you in due time, but we should show you the machine first."

* * *

_**Zachary**_

"You'll never beat me, old man!"

"You're nothing but talk kid."

"You got it Ruby!" Yang and I cheered Ruby on as she fought her uncle in the fighting game the two of them were playing. Qrow was formidable in his fighting, and even as she tried with all her power, he easily ripped her head off with a near perfect victory. He smirked at her as she hid her head in shame.

"And by the way, don't ever call me "old."" Yang didn't hesitate to push her sister out of the way to take her turn against the man.

"My turn!" The game started between the two of them immediately.

"Now, where was I?" Qrow thought back to what he was telling us earlier.

"You were telling us about your last mission." I sat on the bed, messing with my phone as they played the game, still listening to the man's stories though. He clearly showed skill in the past, but he didn't show any interest in any of his stories towards any combat or fighting.

"Right, right. I come across a small village in the swamps west of Mistral. Right off the bat, I knew something wasn't right." Ruby balked at the man like he was a god.

"What were you doing there?" She said.

"I needed information. Tired from battling Grimm along the way, I decided to start my search at the town's local Inn. The place was crawling with low lifes and thugs, even a few huntsmen that I could only assume were hired by less than reputable people to do less than respectable jobs." I frowned and glanced over at him.

"Huntsmen? I didn't know Freelancers could go that far without being tracked by any of the governing Kingdoms." He waved it off nonchalantly.

"Please, Huntsmen and Huntresses have strayed from the Kingdoms regularly for an easy buck, but I'm sure you're all knowing about shady business like that?" He gave me a cold stare, and I easily folded, going back to my phone. Savior or not, the man clearly did not approve of who I was.

"What happened next? What happened next?!" Ruby was getting overly excited, overlooking the awkward moment. Her sister was not so oblivious and gave me a wary look before returning to her game.

"Right, then, I was defeated! By the mere sight of the Inn Keeper's skirt length!" That threw Yang off guard, causing her to stop and throw a pillow at her uncle. He quickly caught it just after killing her avatar on the screen. He glanced at Ruby and the two just started to giggle at the girl's anger.

"Best 2 out of 3?" Ruby moved to sit on the bed beside me.

"So Uncle Qrow, did you get in trouble with Ozpin?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, I saw you two walk up to his office. Did he chew you out?" I said. Ozpin waved his hand at us.

"Naaah, me and Oz go way back. We're cool." He said.

"Cool for an old guy!" Yang and Ruby laughed, but he wasn't amused.

"Not funny." There was a moment of silence as the next match started. I glanced over Qrow, but he was focussed on his game.

"So, Qrow, what are you doing at Beacon? I'm assuming you don't visit Valve often, or I would've seen you around more often." He shrugged.

"Well, a Professional Huntsman, like myself, is expected to get results as soon as possible." Ruby smirked happily.

"Yeah, I get that. We're pretty much pros, too." He rolled his eyes at her.

"Oh really?"

"Pshhh, yeah!" Yang responded. "Read the news sometime. We totally saved Vale while you were gone."

"Funny, because I heard Vale had suffered a Grimm attack after you _almost_ managed to stop a train." He had given me another cold glance as he talked of the train. I got the feeling that he knew about the Milos Family down there. A future question for him. Qrow quickly won the game quickly before leaning in to Yang.

"But they don't give out medals for almost." Ruby raised a finger in defiance.

"They do, and it's called silver!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah, and we took down Torchwick!" I said, Yang agreeing.

"And crime's been down ever since. That's basically a Bounty Mission." He turned back to the screen.

"Sure, you may be acting like Hunters, but you're not thinking like one. Do you really think four girls and their friends can end all crime in the Kingdom?" I frowned grimly. I would've argued, but he was right. Ruby started to look down languidly, so I spoke up.

"We didn't fight for all the crime. We just fought to stop one man." He turned on me quickly.

"And the entire Milos Syndicate!" I raised my eyebrows but he just nodded. "Yeah, that's not hush hush for me, I know what you've been doing."

"Yeah, I've been fighting to keep them from killing more innocents. Is that a bad thing?!" He jumped to his feet.

"It is when you drag my nieces into the fight!" I jumped to mine as well, the two of us starting taking steps toward each other.

"I've been trying to keep them from my Family!"

"Then you must be doing a damn bad job!" He pushed against me with his chest, sending me back a bit, but before I could do anything, Yang was in between us. Ruby was pulling me back from behind, while Yang had her hands on her Uncle's chest.

"Uncle Qrow, stop!" He stared down at her for a second before turning on his heel and exiting the room. He practically vanished from the room in an instant. We stared at the door as a single paper slowly floated to the ground where he had been previously. Yang looked down and picked up what he had dropped. I just stared at the door in anger as Ruby got in front of me.

"Zach, calm down. You almost never get this worked up." I hesitated to look at her before I looked away from the door. I let the stress release from my mind as I glanced at Yang, staring at what her uncle had left behind.

"What'd you find, Yang?" Ruby and I walked over to her and looked over her shoulder at the paper to reveal a photo. On it was 4 teenagers standing in a line, Qrow being one of them.

"He isn't that dad?" Yang was silent as she stared at the photo. Ruby pointed to a blonde man leaning against a tree, who must have been their father. The other two people were girls, one long raven haired girl with a long katana and sheath, and the other being in a long white cloak, very similar to Ruby's, with a shy smile. I watched Yang silently for a moment before I placed my hand on hers. She barely dropped the stare to look at it as I grabbed the photo slowly. She watched me take it silently, clearly very fazed by what was on it.

"I'm gonna hold onto this before Qrow gets back. You alright, Yang?" She hesitated to nod slowly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I looked into her eyes before she gave me a quiet nod. I took it and backed off.

"Strange photo, huh?" Ruby had returned to the game, already starting one against the AI. She clearly didn't seem nearly as fazed by the photo, quickly forgetting about it. I started backing to the door.

"Hey, I'll see you two later. I've got something I need to do." Ruby waved goodbye, and I just say Yang sit down on her bed silently before I left the room.

* * *

**Oh, have things have changed. Yes, it is true that I am back again. It's been several months since my last upload, mainly because I've been busy with School, Military Formations(Military School, remember?), Formal Parades and Balls, and honestly trying to put in time playing Smite with friends back home. I've been trying to put in time to write the chapters, but since I only have access to Google Docs for a couple hours a day when I have Wifi, it's been going incredibly slowly. Yes, I will continue writing as always, just probably slower now. Don't lose hope in me or the story, we are still going strong.**

**Now a small thing on what's been up in my life. Big thing, recently met somebody at the Boarding Military school I go to, and now she's my girlfriend! Yeah, we're really happy together(Even though she has a much higher Military Rank than me), and we really enjoy spending time together. I am close to being promoted from my Private position to a much higher rank, and will be completing the proper requirements in August for it to happen for the next year of school. Things have been hard, but quite enjoyable at times, and I am very happy to have come here.**

**If you have any questions, you can PM me. If you like the story, let me know in the Reviews. If you've got some constructive criticism, throw that in the Reviews, too. I'll see you guys in my next update. GuffeyManipulation, Out.**


	44. Moving Forward to New Horizons

**Hello, It's GuffeyManipulation, back again with a shitty, void-of-chapter update. I just wanted to talk to you guys about something that has happened, and something that will be changing for the future for me. Over the past several months, you have all noticed, as well as myself, of my lacking in chapters to the story. I bring this up again, but without an excuse. I just lost time and dedication to what I started nearly a year and a half previously, and I am truly sorry. With this sad beginning comes a rather eccentric end, however. In my time of procrastination and simple laziness, I found myself finding more and more story behind Monty Oum. I've learned more about his accomplishments in his life, his skill at what he did, and his drive. He seemed more and more driven and truly intelligent to life with each video, blog, and podcast I watched and read describing the Archives of his life. He made his mark on this world in only 33 years, and he will be seldom forgotten for many years to come.**

**This brought me to think. I can take what I've brought up with what have of my life and pale in comparison to what he's done. Truly, my life has been shorter, but little does that matter, considering what I can achieve with what I am provided with now. He started creating animation and art around the year 2007. The time it took for him to create a 30 second piece then, can create a 3 minute piece now, and even longer! I have been blessed with the technology and advancement that has been placed in front of me to help me with my art.**

**With all this on my mind, I looked back to what I was able to create in my life so far. A couple Essays came up, some projects, but then I thought about what I had here. Over 30 chapters of a story that I had created so long previously. Hours of time spent typing what came to mind to fit a parallel story, and still have it be enjoyable and new. I loved doing it for so long, creating characters to add, finding new environments for them to fight and live. I realized that my most apparent ability is the written word.**

**So I have made a decision. Although completely out of the ballpark crazy, and indubitably time consuming, I will be making an attempt to write a book. Not a Fanfiction, based off some other story, or a set pulled from anyone else's creative mind, but a piece that I can call original to my mind. I've been boding over ideas that I could through together in an artistic manner for many months, but the idea of writing a book has fascinated me far more than any animation or drawing that I could do.**

**Now, I'm sure many of you have stopped reading at this point, either tired of listening to my rambling or just not caring about some piece of the Authors mind, but I thank those who stayed and listened. I am sorry to say that my time spent writing this story will pull greatly from my time spent writing anything on this website. Although I spent many great moments here, creating for you, my time will be placed elsewhere. I will try to return at times, and maybe continue the story many months in the future, but for now, you can only wait.**

**I thank my readers, and all that have supported me. I hope you all find your ways to stain your mark on the world as I will try, and know that I will look to support in you any and every way that I can. I love you guys, and Keep Moving Forward.**


	45. The Grand Return

It's been awhile, huh? I've been looking back at what I've written here recently, and there has been quite a bit disgust. My work was riddled with errors and problems. I notice this repeatedly, and yet I also noticed the amount of followers and favorites unchanged. It's been months, and you guys have held up with faith that I'd return after my time leaving to the real world. There have been some ups and downs in my life, and having this to be true, I've also laughed at the ridiculous things I would say after each chapter! Working on this story was a part of my life that a loved, and going back to read has been very nostalgic. I'm unsure if I'll ever return to Courage, Bravery, Integrity, and I'm positive it won't be today, but I'd like to hear the side of the readers before I completely cut it off. I want to know whether or not there will actually be any readers in the crowd of those out there that are dying to see the continuation of Zachary's story. I can pick it up again later, but I'm not sure if I can now. Every voice helps, so let me know. I'll see you guys and gals around.


End file.
